Fate has a funny way of showing you love
by Lady Razeli
Summary: What if Xena had kept Solan and met Hercules years before the triology on Hercules took place.
1. The Birth

Fate has a funny way of showing you love

by

Lady Razeli

Chapter 1 : The birth

Xena gave one final last push and the baby was out. Satrina her slave wrapped the baby up in blanket. After a few minutes she helped Xena outside and into the wagon. As they were driving off Xena saw Borias lying on the ground dying. Borias reached out a hand for her. Xena looked down at her child and back at Borias. She raised him up Borias could see his son. Borias was dead after that.

Satrina disappeared that night. After much thought Xena decided it was best to give her son to someone who could set a good example for him. She decided on Kaliapus. She got a message to him to meet her in a clearing far from the centaur village. She waited for him and tried her hardest not to bond with her son that night, but she did. When she saw him waiting in the clearing sword raised ready for an attack she took one last look at her son and kissed his forehead. She took a step out the cover of the trees. Each step hurt considering she'd just given birth only hours ago.

" I didn't come here to fight." said Xena

"What have you come here for than." said Kaliapus not putting down his sword.

"I came to make a deal with you. I'll pull back my army if you take my son. His father is Borias." said Xena. She opened her cloak to reveal a sleeping baby.

" The son of Borias." said Kaliapus. Xena let him hold him. He held the baby up in the moonlight.

"Do we have a deal?" asked Xena as she stared up at her son.

" Yes if taking care of this child and raising him is all it takes to save my people." said Kaliapus

" I don't want him to become like me ever." said Xena. She took her son back from Kaliapus.

"I will raise him as if he was my own son." said Kaliapus. Xena suddenly felt the need to give him a name. She felt if she didn't know her own son's name than that would make her an even worse mother than she already was.

"Good. I've named him Solan. I don't want him to even know I was his mother. Just tell him his mother is buried with his father or something." said Xena." Always let him wear this as something to remember a mother he'll never know." She pulled something else from under her cloak as she handed Kaliapus for Solan. It was a necklace with a Gold chain and on the end was a Golden chakram. Borias had it made for her before she even got the idea to go after the centaurs.

"Alright. You will pull your army back won't you?" asked Kaliapus making sure she'd keep up her end of the bargin. He put the necklace around Solan's neck and tucked it into his blanket.

" First thing in the morning there will be no more attacks tonight." said Xena. Kaliapus nodded and started to turn as did Xena. When Xena got back to camp she found half her men dead, and half of the half left had fled out of fear. Her second in command walked up to her. Well her new second in command. He wasn't as hard as Dagnine, but he'd do. She didn't think she recognized him as Dagnine's second in command. But she was sure he was it.

"What's your name boy?" asked Xena trying to erase all emotion from her voice.

" Alexandros." said Alexandros. He looked scared of her. Every man in this army usually was when they came face to face with her.

" Alexandros where's Dagnine and what's the status on the centaurs." said Xena

" He fled with 50 of the men. There is 50 of us left including you and me. Other's have died or in bad condition waiting to be helped. The centaurs village has been burned to the ground or still is burning. That's where Dagnine took the other men before fleeing with his tail between his legs." said Alexandros pointing towards the smoke.

Xena was alarmed she'd told Kaliapus that there would be no more attacks,so her son would be safe. Xena grabbed him by the throat, choking him.

"Why didn't you stop him? I didn't order an attack on the centaurs!" said Xena threw clenched teeth.

"We tried, but he said he'd kill us too. We didn't want him to kill you or the baby he claimed you had. Half of us agree with your idea of not killing women and children even if that woman is a warlord and has a child." Alexandros got out. Xena released him.

"Round the rest of the men up. Set up a medical tent and put all the wounded inside. We'll give the dead a proper burial." said Xena." I have some business to attend to, so you are in command until I get back." She disappeared into the forest walking fast. When she reached the village it was in ruins. No one was a live except Kaliapus and a hand full of women, men, and about two kids, who stood there looking around. They had Solan on the ground, and before she could react something was poured into his mouth.

"DAMN YOU XENA!!" yelled Kaliapus. She felt apart of her slip away. After they had left. Xena slowly walked into the village and looked down at her son, her child. He wasn't moving she figured it was poison. She picked his little naked body up. He was cold they were going to let him freeze to death.

She almost cried with joy. She could feel his breathing was very light, so she could not see it. And his muscles felt stiff and she could feel them trying to move. Only she couldn't see it and she knew he was still alive, but paralyed.

They were prepared for her to come back for him, so they paralyed him, so she'd think he was dead and kill her own child and she'd realize it too when he started crying, because by the time they'd have a funeral pier ready for him back at camp and the fire had been lit it'd wear off.

Xena extended her senses and she felt their presence still there. She heard the light breathing of the children and the soft stomping of Kaliapus and another centaur. She decided to play it off and let tears run down her cheeks. She made sure they could tell she was crying.

"No, all I wanted was to give you a good life and all I did was get you killed because of who I am. " Xena cried. She grabbed the makeshift blanket he'd been in when she'd given him to Kaliapus in, and started digging quickly. Tears kept rolling down her face.

When she felt she'd dug deep enough. She balled up the blanket to make it look like he was inside, and placed it in the grave. Solan lay motionless in the makeshift sling she hadn't taken off yet under the cloak. She covered up the grave and remained over it for a little while. She marked his "grave" with a rock pounding into the ground. Stopping her tears she got up and walked away. Only looking back once before going to tears again.

When she was away from the village she stopped to take a look at her son in the moonlight. She decided to keep him, and make sure he was safe, but go back to helping villages fight off people like her maybe. She knew she could never lay down the sword completely, and she couldn't stay in a village for to long. So as not frighten anybody if that was the case.

Solan was very pecious to her, and she hoped they hadn't given him to much cause it could result in him dying. There was nothing she could do, but wait. And wait she did. For hours. Around Dawn He started moving. He opened his blue eyes and looked up at his mother. Xena smiled.

He started crying and her smile disappeared she didn't know what to do and started rocking him. She figured he was hungry, but he wasn't and finally just went to sleep on his own. Xena was almost at camp when she was surrounded by all of her men including the 50 she thought fled with Dagnine.

"See she's a tratior." said Dagnine. They had Alexandros tied up. She drew her sword and held it out ready to fight them off and get away. They attacked her in anger.

She fought them off, but it was hard to fight with a baby in your arms. She was able to hold them back long enough for a man in what looked creamy/yellow shirt and brown leather pants and his compainion who had on a patched vest and black leather pants to help her.

The first one with long brown hair that reached his neck faught with his fists knocking men serval feet away. The other who had curly blond hair used a sword and little tricks.

Dagnine turned and ran a long with the other soldiers. Xena knew who the first man was, but not the second.


	2. The Meeting

Chapter 2: The meeting

"Your Hercules aren't you?" said Xena as she untied Alexandros.

"Yes and are you all right?" asked Hercules

" Yes. I didn't need your help I was doing just fine on my own." said Xena." Alexandros go collect my things and yours from the camp if there is anything left." Alexandros nodded and ran off to do as he was told.

" Oh really a few more minutes and you would have been dead." said Iolaus

"Do you even know who I am little man." said Xena imtimiating him. She stood at her full height. Iolaus back down a bit.

"No, Do you even know who I am?" said Iolaus

"No, and I don't care who you're." said Xena

"Well I am Hercules's best friend, Iolaus." said Iolaus

"That's nice little man, but since you did help and I probably would have been a goner since I was holding something very percious. You both have my thanks." said Xena

"What is so pecious that'd they'd attack you." said Hercules." Who're you by the way."

"They've labeled me as a traitor. That was my army, and this is what is so pecious to me." said Xena. She opened her cloak to reveal her son. Alexandros came back at that moment with a bag full of clothes and something of his own.

" Why don't we find a place for you three to rest you look as if you had a rough night." said Hercules knowing who she was. They'd been coming this way to help the centaurs fight their war. Iolaus now knew too.

They found a clearing and set up camp. Alexandros collected some fire wood and Iolaus went to hunt. Xena took off her cloak. She was getting hot under it and her deerskin pants and shirt were much lighter for this type of weather compared to her fur lined cloak.

"Would you like me to hold him and you can go to the river near by and wash up." said Hercules.

"No, I need to give him a bath and break his fever." said Xena looking down at her son his face was red all over. She felt his forehead he was hot. She stood up, and headed towards the river. Hercules followed her. She stopped at the edge and undressed ignoring him behind her.

"Here I'll take him while you bath." said Hercules. She looked at him for a minute and handed him Solan. The water was cold and the current was slow. She reached up for Solan and Hercules handed him to her. She sprinkled water his face and stomach continuously until his fever broke. She was careful to avoid getting water on his umbilicol cord which had been cut.

Hercules looked on wondering how such a woman who was suppose to be so evil be so gentle. Hercules rolled up his pants and took off his boots letting his feet dangle in the water. She let Solan's feet stay in the water as they both cooled down. Solan started crying, so she got out of the water and sat down on the bank her feet in the water next to Hercules and fed him.

" Xena your very beautiful you know." said Hercules out of no where.

" Thanks I guess." said Xena. She stopped feeding Solan and got back in the watering this time actually bathing. She got out, and dressed in clean undergarments, pants, and shirt. She pulled out a deerskin shirt and wrapped Solan in it.

"Don't you have any diapers or clothes for him?" asked Hercules

"No, I wasn't going to keep him before I was determined to get rid of him. I didn't get anything. I never once put his needs before mine until last night. When he was born." said Xena.

"What happen last night anyway?" said Hercules. Xena looked down at her son and than at Hercules. There was just something about him that made her want to tell him about her whole life.

She felt as if she knew him. She felt as if he was apart of her just like Solan except the feeling was different some how.

" I gave birth to Solan, while we were in the middle of a war. The centaurs attacked of course, but they didn't come into the tent I was in. Borias, Solan's father had betrayed me. My slave Satrina helped me. She drugged me, but they were starting to ware off by the time she was helping me outside the tent and into a wagon. On our way out I saw him die. I tried to let him get a look at his son, but I'm not sure he even saw him before he died." said Xena

"Oh I'm so sorry for your lost." said Hercules

"Don't be he was a little abusive sometimes. Anyways Satrina later disappeared after a couple of hours. I got in touch with Kaliapus and had him meet me in a clearing I'd decided to give Solan away because I didn't want him to become what I was, what I am. We made a deal. I pull back my army and he raises my son to know peace instead of violence. I told him there would be no more attacks and I'd pull back what was left of my army in the morning. We walked away from each other expecting to never see each other again except..." Xena stopped telling her story she heard someone in the bushes behind them. They looked back and waited a momemt. Alexandros stumbled out into the open.

" Mistriss, Master. Master Iolaus is curious to know where you're shall I tell him?" asked Alexandros

"Why're you acting like a slave?" asked Xena.

"Because I am one Mistriss. Master Dagnine forced me to act like I would be next in line for second in command if he died, and pretended to be training me. In private I was his slave and sometimes his sex slave." said Alexandros

"Great. I don't care if you tell him." said Xena. Hercules shook his head in sadness. Not knowing how to reply to it.

" You will free him right." said Hercules

"In the first town he would like to live." said Xena as He stumbled back into the trees and bushes.

" So you were walking away from each other expecting never to see each other again except..." said Hercules wishing for her to continue.

"Accpet there was only 50 of us left including myself and Alexandros. Dagnine had took 50 others and fled, but not before burning the centaur village. I imagine Kaliapus heard, saw, and smelled his family and friends burn to death. Only a hand full of women and men left. Two were centaurs. Two children left a live out of it all. Than like five women. I felt responsible, but I was worried for my son instead. When I got there I stayed back a moment. They poured some venom down his throat to paralyze him make me think he was dead just incase I came back before they let him freeze to death. If I hadn't of felt him breathing or felt the twitching in his muscles I never would have known he was a live at all. I could have buried my son alive or worse yet burned him alive. Than I would have been the one to kill my own flesh and blood. Not them. I grabbed the makeshift blanket, and rolled it up to look like I put him in there after I dug a deep enough hole than covered it. That's the oldest trick in the book, and if they're smart they dug it up to see for themselves, but they probably waited an hour just in case. After that I found a clearing and just waited and hoped that the venom wouldn't kill him. At Dawn he woke up started crying. He cried himself to sleep, and by the time I was close to camp they were waiting for me and surrounded me. I was holding them back when you came and chased them off. You know the rest of the story from there." said Xena

"Yes. You must be tired. We'll stay here today and tomorrow we should leave this place." said Hercules.

"Yea. Everything hurts." said Xena sighing as she looked up at the sky.

"You need a massage that use to help my wife with the pain." said Hercules. He moved behind her and started massaging her back and shoulders.

"That feels good.You have a wife?" said Xena

"Well she died a long time ago. Along with all three of our kids." said Hercules.

"How'd they die?" asked Xena. Hercules usually didn't like being asked questions about his wife it brought back painful memories, but when Xena asked he could only remember good memories happy ones.

"Hera. She burned them all. I just wish I could have been there to save them from that." said Hercules

"There was nothing you could do. Sounds to me like you would've perished with them." said Xena."Now that I think about it someone was telling everybody how Hera used a huge ass fire ball to kill them."

"Yea, sometimes I wish I had of." said Hercules with a sigh. He was a little shocked for a moment he'd never said that to anyone before.

"I lost my brother in the war that changed my life forever. I wish I could've died with him too, but now I think about how this perfect, innocent, little boy wouldn't be here today if I had of died back than. Now think about this if you would've died you would have never helped me and this little boy would either grow up without a mother, die from cold and hunger crying next to my dead body, or murdered right a long with me." said Xena." Your scared to face the fact they're dead. I am too. I'm scared of the fact that I'm a mother and this little boy is completely dependent on me to feed him, keep him clean, keep him warm, keep him safe, and most importantly love him. I had to face a long time ago my brother was dead, but even now I can't believe it. So why don't we both suck it up and face the truth together." Xena turned around and took Hercules hand in hers which had stopped moving. She looked him straight in the eyes and he looked back. Before they both knew it they were inches away from each other's face.

"Guys where you at!" called Iolaus they moved apart from each other as Iolaus came into the open. Hercules went slightly red.

" Is the food ready." said Xena acting as if nothing had happened.

"Yep I cooked quail and rabbit pretty good if do I so say myself." said Iolaus. Xena looked at him weird. Hercules stood and helped Xena up. Hercules grabbed her things and they all went back to the camp. As they walked back. Solan started crying. No matter what Xena did he wouldn't stop.

"Here let me try." said Hercules. Xena nodded and gave him Solan and took her bag. Solan immediately stopped crying and went to sleep. He looked so cute asleep with his fist in his mouth. As they ate Xena turned the rabbit skin into a blanket for Solan. She sewed the quail feathers into it on the inside to make it softer.

"That's the last thing I thought you'd know how to do." said Iolaus looking over at the blanket. Xena had stretched the skin to it's fullest to make it bigger. She decided to add more as she went along.

"What sew?" asked Xena curiously looking up at him.

"Well yea your a warlord you don't look like the type who sits with her mother and learns to sew." said Iolaus

"Why wouldn't I learn all my mother could teach me. Besides if it wasn't for her when I sewed up a wound the stitches would be messy and the wounds would probably get infected again or they'd die." said Xena." If you get hurt and need to be snitched up and I was the only one around you'd be thanking my mother for teaching me how to sew."

" I've seen some messy snitches before on slaves and they all ended up dead from the loss of blood because the snitches weren't tight enough or neat enough to keep the wound closed." said Alexandros. They all looked at him he hadn't spoken at all since he asked if he could tell Iolaus where they were.

" Iolaus let's get something straight. I can do anything a house wife can do except cook, but I can bake." said Xena."And what I don't know I learn if I find the need to learn how to do it."

"Iolaus it's not good to underestimate the warrior princess what she can't do she will learn to do." said Hercules. He grinned at Iolaus and was rewarded with pee getting his mouth. He put his hand in the way and looked down at Solan as he finished. Xena, Iolaus, and Alexandros, well Alexandros tried to hide it since he was a slave, went into a fit of laughter. To their surpise Hercules started laughing too. Everyone struggled to breath from laughing, so hard. Xena felt good she hadn't laughed that hard in ages.

" I have some cloth to use as a diaper." said Alexandros pulling it out. Xena watched him make one and hand it to her. She was surpised at how well she remembered how to put a diaper on a baby. She hadn't done that since she was 14 and still babysitting for Dinars. She wrapped Solan in his new blanket, which he liked.

"Here I'll go clean this a long with myself." said Hercules standing up.

"Oh no Master let me clean that." said Alexandros taking the shirt.

"No, that's ok you can stay here. Xena might need something. Babies are prone to sickness when they're born." said Hercules. He quickly left Alexandros following after him anyway. Xena started on her own meal letting Solan lay in his make shift sling. Solan started crying, so she released a breast for him to nurse on. He suckled contently one of his hands rested on her breast.

" I forget, how far is the next village?" said Xena

"You destroyed them all for about two miles in the west, so two miles from here you can enter a village without some idiot yelling your attacking the village when your merely stopping by to get supplies. To the east that is or North, maybe South, which ever way you're heading." said Iolaus. As she listened to Iolaus it occured to her he was gay.

"I want to go back home and that's just about 10 miles up North and 3 miles East of here." said Xena.

"We'll travel with you just in case that guy attacks again. We don't want you getting hurt because you can't fight them off completely with a baby in your arms." said Hercules coming back.

"Thanks Hercules. Where's Alexandros?" asked Xena

"By the river washing the shirt." said Hercules." He robbed you by the way." He tossed me the necklace I'd given Solan. I'd been wondering where that had gotten too.

"Thanks I've been wondering what happen to this." said Xena putting it around her neck. She'd wear it for now until Solan was older.

"What is the name of your home." said Iolaus

" Home. My home is Amphipolis." said Xena." Or it use to be. I'm not sure how much they're gonna like the fact I'm back.."

"Xena, they won't accept you right away, but I'm sure your mother will especially since you have her grandson." said Hercules

"Won't stop her from yelling at least when we're alone she will." said Xena." If I stay in the village long enough for us to be a lone."

"You two will work out your little problems if I have to sit on both of you or lock you both in a room." said Hercules

"You can try." said Xena shugging it off. Hercules was about to say something back, but thought better of it, and for the rest of the day everyone was silent except to comtemplate what they would eat that night and to say good night.

In the morning they set off for Amphipolis.. They came across no villages for two miles. They reached a small village not sure to having warriors in their village.


	3. The Village

Chapter Three:

The village

" I'll do some shopping. Do we need any supplies?" asked Xena.

" Food. Bread etc.." said Hercules." Are we staying here tonight?"

"Yea, I'm sick of the outdoors right now." said Iolaus sneezing

"Because they have so many flowers here." said Hercules." I'll get four rooms."

" I need to go see the healer maybe he's got something to stop my sneezing." said Iolaus. Everyone went their spearate ways. The villagers watched them all.

"Alexandros hold Solan for me please." said Xena. They got directions to the baby store.

" We're looking for baby clothes, bottle, diapers, and pacifier." said Xena to the clerk. The man looked scared of her after he saw her sword.

"Well we have a bag with all that including a baby bedroll and blanket." said the clerk. He led her over to a shelf and took down a blue bag. Xena checked the contents and than got a few more shirts and pants plus little shoes to keep his feet warm.

"Do you have slings?" asked Xena. The clerk nodded and got a soft and sterdy sling for Solan.

"He can be carried around in this until he's about three depending on his weight. If he's a light boy it'll be awhile before he get's uncomfortable in it." said the clerk. Xena made sure Solan was comfortable in it before deciding to get it.

"How much for it all?" said Xena

" Normally I charge 50 dinars for all this, but for you only two dinars." said the clerk

" 50 you should sell all this for at least 25 not 50." said Xena as she gave him 2 dinars. She put the extra clothes in the bag and put Solan his new sling. Alexandros carried out the bag, and Xena put Solan on her back.

"You know you're a big help Alexandros, but if you want to go back to your home village than I won't stop you unless you have some of my stuff." said Xena

" No ma'am ill stay with you. My home was destroyed when I was capured when I was 9." said Alexandros. Xena nodded.

"If you wish to leave tell me." said Xena. They found a clothing store and it had a few good battle dresses. Finally she chose a battle dress. Black leather with a bronze breast plate and other stuff.

" How much for it?" asked Xena

" 200 dinars." said the clerk smirking. He obviously didn't see her sword or care who she was. Probably didn't even know who she was.

"200? I'll give you 50 for it." said Xena. He insisted 200 and she insisted on using force. He agreed immediately.

"Um..let's not tell anyone about that little slip ok." said Xena to Alexandros. She'd managed not to lose her temper over anything and she wanted to try and keep it that way.

"Yes Mistriss." said Alexandros carrying her new clothes. Xena found an empty tent behind the shop and changed there. She put her pants and shirt back into her bag. She tossed the bag to Alexandros.

" Alexandros call me Xena not Mistriss. If you insist on being my slave there is no reason we can't be friends as well." said Xena. They decided the food could wait until tomorrow. Xena got Alexandros a bedroll. She noticed he didn't have one last night.

"Thank you Mistriss. I mean Xena. Mistriss Xena." said Alexandros expecting a slap on the face for his slip of the tongue, but none came.

"Your welcome. Come on let's get back to the tavern." said Xena. They walked back and found Hercules at a back table. Xena sat with her back to the wall and it took a moment before Alexandros realized he was welcome to sit down.

"People here are afraid of us. People move out of my way and offer me things for free." said Hercules

"One guy gave me what I wanted for 2 dinars even though he charges 50 and should charge 25 dinars. Another guy tried to cheat me out of my money,but I just gave him 50 and told him to take it or leave it." said Xena

" I notice they don't think much of women around here. The first guy must have seen your sword, but they think women are stupid here, so all the boys go to school the gurls stay at home. Most girls aren't even allowed to play outside. I heard one man talking about killing any extra girls if there are more girls than boys this year." said Hercules

"That's horrible. The guy who I got Solan's clothes from just asumed he was a boy. Come to think of it. I didn't see much for a girl in the store. A couple of clothes here and there though, but that's it." said Xena." Even I've got a limit and they have passed it."

"If you lived here you'd make it so all the men died." said Hercules

"Maybe, if I grew up like them." said Xena."But my personality might be completely different." The owner came over to order.

"What can I get you sirs." said the owner ignoring Xena.

" What's the special for today's lunch." said Hercules

"Leg of Lamb." said the owner.

"Great we'll all have the Lamb.." said Hercules." We'll all have cider as well. I have a freind coming to join us in a few minutes as well, so bring some for him too." The owner nodded.

"Here fill this up with Milk." said Xena handing him the bottle. The owner saw Solan was a boy because Xena was changing him otherwise He wouldn't have took the bottle from her and went to feel it up with warm **fresh** milk. She put Solan into some fresh clothes and his little shoes. She put him back in the sling, so he was lying down now. Solan started crying waiting to be fed. The owner came back with the bottle. Xena took it from him and gave it to Solan.

"You have a beautiful son sir." said the owner to Hercules. Xena watched them with amusment. Hercules got uncomfortable and just thanked the man before he left.

"Why didn't you tell him this wasn't your son?" asked Xena curiously

"Because something tells me. They don't take the infidelity by women to kindly, so if they think your my wife. Than let them." said Hercules. Iolaus came in and his sneezing was no better, and took care to not sneeze near his companions. Especially since a newborn baby was among them.

The owner came over with three plates of lamb and three cups of cider. He set a bowl of some nasty green looking shit in front of Xena a long with some black looking drink.

" What the fuck is this?" Xena said immediately." He ordered Lamb and cider for us all."

"This is slop fit for a woman and cabbage juice." said the owner

" You know what you better take this back to your kitchen and get me some real food before I lose my temper." said Xena dead serious.

" Take that back. I don't want to smell that. It's ruining my apeptite." said Iolaus

"We don't serve Lamb to women or cider." said the owner turning. Before he was even half way across the room the bowl landed on his head and the cabbage juice on his back. All the women were in shock. No one disobeyed the men. They ate what was given to them.

"Here Xena we can share." said Hercules smirking. Xena looked at him in surpise. He'd thrown it before she could even raise her hand. Xena grinned back at him. They shared the lamb. The owner was too surpised to even do anything.

The women were almost dumb founded when they saw Hercules offer to share with the woman who had demanded Lamb and cider like her husband and his friends. Later one of the women in the tavern caught up to Xena in the halls when she was going into her room.

" Excuse me miss." said the woman. Xena turned around.

" Can I help you?" asked Xena

" I want to know what it's like outside of the village. I mean do women really eat Lamb and drink cider." said the woman." Some of the other women and I were wondering." Three other women looked around the corner to make their presence known.

" Jarana hurry up if we get caught asking questions like this or even talking to her they'll be no meals for two weeks or a beating, maybe both." said a woman.

"Why don't you all come in my room, and I'll tell you a few stories." said Xena not wanting to cause them pain. She wouldn't be the cause of a man beating his wife especially since she was so against abuse.

The women nodded and hurried into her room. Xena lit some candles, and a fire. In the light she saw that two were pregnant and the other two carried babies in slings.

" Cute kids. " said Xena as she took Solan out of his Sling and layed him on his stomach. She'd heard of to many babies dying in their sleep on their backs. She sat down next to him.

"Thanks we had girls and got beat for it. Like we have control over the sex of the baby." said Jarana indicating herself and her friend.

" For having a girl. Don't they know they need you guys otherwise they wouldn't be here today or have their sons?" said Xena

" I think, so that's why they feed us and don't beat us to badly that we die. Unless we commit some unspeakable crime." said Jarana. Each sat on the floor by the fire. Waiting to hear some tales of the outside. Xena joined them on the floor.

"Well first I should introduce myself. I'm Xena." said Xena

"Destroyer of Nations. "said Jarana." I heard my husband talking about getting ready for a war against an unholy woman who wasn't fit to be on this earth, because she didn't know her place."

" Some call me that. Others call me warriorbitch or the warriorprincess. There's probably more out there." said Xena

"Oh. You seem to nice to have an army." said Jarana

" I use to have one, but that's all over now. They've labeled me a traitor and are coming back to kill me one day. " said Xena

" We should introduce ourselves. I'm Jarana." said Jarana. A girl to her left spoke next.

" I'm Larana." said Larana. Larana was one of the pregnant girls. The girl to Larana's Left spoke next.

" I'm Tarana." said Tarana. Tarana was also pregnant. The girl on Jarana's right spoke after that. Xena also noticed she was pregnant even though she had a baby who looked like she'd only been born a few months ago.

"I'm Carana." said Carana she had a little quiet voice.

"Nice to meet you all. Well I should tell you about the outside before your missed by your husbands." said Xena

"Oh no it's Man's day. They're all going camping for a few days. The one time a woman can be incharge of her husband's business." said Jarana." They always leave after dinner, but start preparing stuff at lunch. They insist we stay at the tavern/inn on such days. There's always one man left behind though at the inn though to make sure we don't eat any lamb or drink cider or anything."

" Alright well outside of here. You can eat whatever you want. That slop they give you here is not even a choice let alone forced into your mouth. Criminals eat better than that. Husbands don't rule everything in your life and they don't beat you, but there is the occassional one that actually does beat a woman. Men show equal respect to women most do anyway, but they don't treat their wives or daughters the way the men do here." said Xena

"Are they all like your husband?" said Tarana

"Where is your husband? He won't tell on us for being near you will he?" asked Carana

" No. He's not even my husband. He's sleeping in a different room. No man is as brave as Hercules, but there're cowards and some who have enough bravery or heart to do good things." said Xena." My father for example was a soldier. He was a seasoned warrior, but when he was home. He was a loving and caring father and husband. The only time he disrespected my mother was when he was drunk."

" So there is something better than this place outside this village." said Larana

"Yes, You can be anything you want to be outside of this village. You can even go to school." said Xena." I did and I'm an experienced healer and warlord now or I use to be a warlord."

"School I've always wanted to go to school and learn something. I use to listen in on the lessons. I know everything by memory." said Jarana. The next few hours consisted of Xena teaching the women how to read and write. They only stopped to feed their children or themselves.

"Do they expect you to eat that slop when your pregnant too?" asked Xena

" Yea except they add bread with it." said Tarana. It wasn't hard to teach them how to write, but since they were use to memorizing it wasn't that much of a challedge to get them to remember every letter in words. She taught them how to sound words out too, so words she didn't teach them they could figure out themselves.

The most important thing they learned to spell were their names, the names of their daughters, and that of their mothers, and sons if they had any. Carana had two sons at home not yet to corupted by their father or the other men of the village.

When it came time for dinner they went back downstairs. Not all together for fear of the old man watching the inn would tell on them. Xena knocked on Hercules door. He opened it.

"Ready for dinner?" asked Xena smiling

"What'd you do?" asked Hercules figuring she'd done something. She seemed to cheerful.

"Nothing. They won't serve me if I don't have a guy down there and I figure the old man is more stubborn than the actual owner." said Xena

" You did something, so why don't you tell me and than I'll come down with you." said Hercules not buying it.

" Well I taught four girls to read and write a little." whispered Xena

" Good for you a little rebellion is good for this town." said Hercules

"Yea except the catch is if the men find out they can read and write or that they went near me period they will get the beating of a life time after they have their kid unless it's a girl than the daughter is killed to punish the mother. Mothers and daughters are tight in this village." said Xena. She crossed her fingers tightly to show how tight mothers and daughters were here.

" Well that's a big helping of rebellion along with a side of either all the women are going to follow us out of here or we're going to set the men straight about how to treat a woman." said Hercules.

" I know, and it'll go great with a cup of how many people died out of self-defence." said Xena. She looked at Hercules and this time noticed he had his shirt off. Hercules finally noticed Xena's new battledress too.

" You look great for someone who just gave birth two days ago." said Hercules

"Thanks. Everything still hurts though. How about you give me a massage after dinner perhaps please." said Xena. She was getting use to using the word please and meaning it again.

"Sure thing. Come on let's get down to dinner." said Hercules moving out of the room.

"Sure, but don't you want to put a shirt on first?" said Xena

"No. Men have this rule of no man is to have his shirt off in the presence of another woman not his wife. To get around that rule of no clothes off in front of anyone except your wife. They have pants with holes in front so they can pull out their equipment and cheat on their spouses." said Hercules.

"Sad really, but I bet they already don't like what I'm wearing. All the girls are modest about their clothes and ashamed of their bodies. Not me though I just gave birth and I'm already letting everyone see me. Parts of me anyway." said Xena. Hercules laughed and shut the door. They walked downstairs. Iolaus and Alexandros were in nothing but their undergarments.

" Hey guys. We got hot so I hope you don't mind us." said Iolaus

"Not at all as long as you keep things Greek up in here." said Xena with a grin and a wink.

" You know I will." said Iolaus with a grin and wink back.

"Damn your right it is hot." said Hercules. He took off his pants and was in his undergarments and boots as well. Xena started fanning herself. She knew just how to make herself sweat too and it looked real. Hercules, Iolaus, and Alexandros were amazed at how real she made it look.

"It is to hot in here and it's night." said Xena as she took off her leathers. She stood there in her bra and panties that looked like short shorts and took Solan from Hercules when she sat back down.

" You're very comfortable with your body huh?" said Hercules as everyone stared at them except the women. Who couldn't believe that this woman wasn't afriad to show her body.

"Yes,I am very comfortable with it. No shame in showing a little skin. You obviously agree." said Xena indicating something poking up threw his undergarments.

" Oh yea." said Hercules embarressed.

" Don't be embarressed. if I got a hard on in public I'd let everyone know, so they can see how large my equipment is." said Xena with a raised eyebrow. The old man came over.

"Put your clothes back on." said the owner

"What's on the special for dinner tonight." said Iolaus ignoring what'd he'd said.

" Chicken and whatever the men would like to drink." said the owner looking at Xena with an unkind face.

" Little man, Shut up and bring us all some chicken and cider. And that includes myself. I don't want to have strip down completely in this place you wouldn't want me to make your tavern a forbidden place. You could lose money and business." said Xena. The owner nodded and hurried off to do as he was told. The women couldn't believe it.

"Hey little man. I'd like some chicken and cider too. Not this crap." said Jarana dumping the shit she'd been served on the floor.

" I thought I was little man." said Iolaus.

"Well you've been upgrated to Hey you." said Xena. Jarana's husband was furious with her.

"Get down there and lick that off the floor. " said her husband

"No. Today I learned that there is something better than the crap you feed us and I want more for me and my daughter. I don't love you I hate you. I hate this town. I'm leaving and that's that." Jarana ran out of the inn before her husband could react. There was just a chain reaction of bowls dumping on their husbands heads.

Xena, Hercules, Iolaus, and Alexandros looked at each other and quickly got dressed. They were upstairs and down again with their stuff. They stopped a lot of beatings that night. They hadn't expected the rebellion to happen so quickly. They didn't know the women were that close to boiling point.

All the women ended up following them out of the village since they didn't know where they were going. Some even brought their sons except the ones over 13 they were goners. Though a couple ran to catch up with them as they left.

"That night they delivered about three babies considering most of the women were heavily pregnant and still nursing babies they just had or some were heavily pregnant. Big famlies lots of wagons.

" Oh none of those men are going to survive on their own." said Xena."They were completely dependent on the women to do everything for them except business."

" At least all the men aren't lost." said Hercules. They all nodded. Four days later they reached Salonica. The women decided to make their home in the town of Solonica who welcomed them after hearing their tale. Most got introduced to widowed men in the village. Women weren't in plenty there.

So most got new husbands others stayed alone. They learned how the people of Solonica had a system of trading together and things, so no one was poor and everyone made the same amount except the inn keepers and tavern keepers who had system all their own. They rested there a few days.

"Good bye Xena." said Jarana." Thanks for everything."

"I did nothing it was all you. I just helped you find some courage." said Xena."Goodbye ill miss you. I'll be back for a visit soon. Can't stay away from all the little Xena's, Hercules's, Iolaus's, and Alexandros's now could I."

"No you couldn't." said Jarana. After they'd left waving until they were out of sight. They ran into some bandits. They fought them off. The commanders horse was left a live. She was a beautiful golden mare.

" Whoa girl. I'm not going to hurt you." said Xena. She calmed the horse down. She was hurt on the leg.

"It's only a mile to Amphipolis and a mile back to Solonica." said Xena."Which way?"

"Amphipolis." said Hercules everyone else nodded agreement.


	4. Home

Chapter 4: Home

Hercules held Solan since the mare would not let anyone else hold her reins, but Xena. They reached Amphipolis by night fall. Hercules got four rooms. Xena slept in her mother's inn without her knowing she was even there.

In the morning she was up first thing, and waited with Hercules downstairs for her mother. When she did come down she was surpised to see her there.

Solan was with Alexandros at the moment waiting for Xena to come back. Xena had removed all her weapons and armor. She was just in her leathers sitting in a chair. Xena even brushed her hair that day not that she really needed too.

"Hello Mother." said Xena. Xena was not sure how her mother would take her being there.

"What're you doing back here Xena?" asked Cyrene." I suppose the rumors of you having a child are true than and you want me to raise it well is that it cause if it is just hand it over and be on your way Xena!" Xena didn't say anything she didn't think her mother would have heard about it yet. She knew "good" news traveled fast, and "bad" news traveled at the speed of light. She didn't think this good news had traveled at the rate of bad news.

"Well where is it ?!" said Cyrene

" With a friend right now. I came here to tell you that I'm trying to change my life around, and I was hoping you wouldn't yell at me long enough for me to say so. I'll just leave before anyone knows I was here. You obviously don't want me here." said Xena she singled for Alexandros to come down with Solan. Iolaus followed him down with all their stuff. Xena didn't even bother to let Cyrene see her grandson.

They all left except Hercules. He stayed to get the horse some medical attention and new horse shoes. Cyrene just stood there as her daughter walked out with her grandchild.

" Xena we're sorry it didn't work out with your mother." said Iolaus

"It's ok. I know I send her on a guilt trip everytime she looks at me, but I really made her feel guilty when she heard why and I came back. Her anger is just a way to hide it. " said Xena." Maybe one day she'll let it all go and forgive me. I'm still learning to forgive myself, and it's hard, because the only good I can see in myself is my son." She forced herself not to cry. Back in Amphipolis Cyrene found Hercules who she'd seen standing in the corner just near her daughter.

"You there. Did you come here with Xena?" asked Cyrene. Hercules turned around. He'd just gotten a new harness and saddle for the horse. Xena had decided to keep the mare.

"Yes I did. You must be the most caring mother ever. Some unconditonal love you have to give your daughter." said Hercules sarcasticly

"Look I was angry. I still am at what my daughter has done." said Cyrene

"No, your ashamed of yourself, because you feel it's your fault she is the way she is." said some random voice out of nowhere letting Hercules know Cyrene's true feelings.

" Do you know I had to drag Xena here, because this is the way she figured you'd act. The closer we got the harder it got to convince her to come here and try and make up with you. You should feel lucky she even wanted to give you a chance to see your grandson." said Hercules

" I am not ashamed of myself." said Cyrene angrily.

"Yes you're." said the same random voice from no where. Hercules looked around before continuing to speak feeling slightly annoyed Cyrene hadn't really been listening to what he said.

"It's not your fault she was into weapons and war. What'd you expect with two brothers plus her father was a soldier. From what I hear the first couple of battles were only to protect this village, but you all shunned her. Wait maybe it is your fault. I mean your all the reason she has all that anger inside of her and over the years people just kept pissing her off. Makes sense now." said Hercules." But the point is in some ways it is your fault and others it's the village. Than some of it's on her too."

" Your right." said Cyrene as tears rolled down her cheeks.

" I usually am right." said Hercules matter of factly.

"Can you get Xena to come back." said Cyrene.

"I already have." said Xena

"Xena I thought you'd be long gone by now." said Cyrene turning around.

" I would have been, but I had to wait for a friend." said Xena. Solan was in his sling awake on her back. He was cooing softly. Sunshine was a blaze around them.

"I'll leave you two alone." said Hercules. They went back to the inn and talked as they walked. The inn was empty when they entered it. The morning rush over.

" I really am trying to change for Solan's sake. I need your support and love and I'm finally ready to admit that to myself. Life isn't worth much if your mother doesn't love you." said Xena

" Xena I love you I always will never doubt that again." said Cyrene. Cyrene was just so happy her daughter was trying to get off the path of blood shed. Xena took her sling off and held Solan in front of her for a minute.

"This is your grandson Solan." said Xena introducing them to each other. Solan started crying immediately when Cyrene held him. Cyrene gave him back to Xena and he stopped crying. Xena took him out of the sling. He usually didn't like being held while he was in his sling unless he was on Xena or Hercules back or sometimes Alexandros, or being nursed by Xena. Xena gave him to her mother again. Solan started crying. This time Cyrene attempted to make him stop crying. He just got louder, which Xena didn't think was possible until than.

"Wow he's definately going to be a good singer." said Xena to Hercules when he walked in.

"What!" yelled Hercules.

" I SAID, WOW, HE'S DEFINATELY GOING TO BE A GOOD SINGER!." YELLED XENA

" OH YEA GREAT SINGER!" Yelled Hercules back. Xena couldn't take it anymore and motioned for mother to give him back to her.

"He likes me." said Cyrene. Xena forced herself to keep her face neutral and happy before she gave her mother that ' you have got to be kidding me' look. Solan got quiet when he saw his mother looking down at him, but he was still in Cyrene's arms.

" Huh he stopped crying." said Xena. Cyrene moved around the room rocking him and making faces and giving him kisses. Solan started right back up again. Cyrene took him back to Xena when he saw his mother Solan stopped crying.

"I think I know the problem." said Xena

"What is it?" said Cyrene

"He cries everytime he doesn't either see me or feel me when he's awake. So hold him up right. That way he can see me still if you move." said Xena.

" Oh my, diaper change." said Cyrene as she felt the warm liquid. Xena took Solan from her mother. She spread his blanket on a clean table and changed him including his clothes. Solan felt a little cold, so she wrapped him in his light blanket. Cyrene came back with a clean dress on.

"He's perfect Xena." said Cyrene." How long ago was he born?"

"Almost three weeks ago." said Xena.She sat down. Solan would want to be fed soon after doing his business. As if on cue he started giving his I'm hungry cry. Xena released a breast for him. His blanket blocking it from view.

" Xena, Iolaus, and I are going to Thebes to handle some business. Why don't you stay with your mother and we'll come back here to get you if you still want to travel that is." said Hercules.

" Yes I do. I figure my path is to do good in the world. I mind as well start saving instead of harming. " said Xena. They shook hands and he left.

"Is that the father." said Cyrene curiously.

" No, that's a friend. The father was killed the night I gave birth." said Xena

"Oh the poor dear will never have a father. We must start finding a potential canidate to be a good father." said Cyrene

" Mother no I don't want to marry anyone. Solan will be fine. I'm sure if he has any guy problems in the furture. Hercules and Iolaus would be happy to help us out." said Xena

"Yes Xena, but you know what it's like to grow up without a father." said Cyrene

" You raised us without remarring a good man." countered Xena

"Yes, but it would have been easier if you guys had a good male figure to look up too." said Cyrene.

" Mother I'm not getting married at least not for awhile. Mind you a while could be years." said Xena, so her mother would stop bothering her for now.

"Oh alright dear. Now who is this friend who just left." said Cyrene

"That was Hercules,and he saved my life. I would have been a goner. I don't think I could have held off those men with a baby in my arms the morning after I'd given birth." said Xena

"Xena you should rest after you give birth." said Cyrene feeling her daughters forehead for fever. She hoped her daughter wouldn't get sick even if it was almost three weeks ago. You never knew when you'd fall ill.

" I know I did for two hours than it turned into a life or death situation for us all." said Xena. Cyrene didn't ask for more detail and Xena didn't offer any.

"Well you go rest up for now." said Cyrene. She picked up Solan's little bag as Xena picked up her own figuring she'd end up staying. They went back to the room Xena had occupied the previous night with Hercules. Iolaus and Alexandros in another. For some reason they insisted they share a room.

"Wouldn't you be comfortable in a dress?" asked Cyrene

"No, I wouldn't be. " said Xena as she finished feeding Solan. After her mother nodded and left out she stripped down to her shift and went to sleep. Solan next to her sleeping peacfully.


	5. Potidaea

Chapter 5: Potidaea

Three weeks later Hercules was back alone without Iolaus or Alexandros. Xena and the villagers were still not at peace with each other.

"Hey I'm guessing the villagers are stubborn as ever." said Hercules seeing as half the villagers in the room and vacated the side of the tavern Xena was on and moved to the otherside to try and enjoy there dinner.

"Yep, but on the brightside I caught up on some reading, trained Argo, practiced meditating, and took my son riding on Argo." said Xena

"You named her Argo. That's a perfect name for her." said Hercules

"Yep. When can we leave? I'm tired of their angry glares and someone even atempts everynow and than to hit me with a rock. Almost hit Solan. That's when I got really pissed and they stopped." said Xena

"You waited for me. The great Xena friend to no one." said Hercules with a laugh.

" Well I left a couple of times, but came back never going to far. Got rid of a lot of bandits lurking around here." said Xena

"Well you weren't completely waiting and tecnically you're visiting your mother. It's only natural not to go anywhere." said Hercules.

"Yep, so when should we leave where should we go." said Xena

"To a festival in Potidaea of course." said Hercules

"I don't do festivals." said Xena

"Oh come on it'll be fun. Why don't you leave Solan here for two weeks and we'll go to the festival." said Hercules." You need to have some fun again. We'll stop a few more bandits and come back."

"We'll see." said Xena

"I already asked your mother she'd be delighted to watch him." said Hercules. As her mother came over.

"Xena go have a good time." said Mother. Xena sighed and agreed still unsure about leaving her child. The villagers didn't exactly take it out on her son, but she felt if she weren't there to protect him. They'd go for Solan in an attempt to avenge the children they lost in the battle of Amphipolis. They left the next day for Potedia.

"So what's Potidaea like?" asked Hercules. They were now a mile away from Amphipolis.

" Um..I don't know." said Xena." I thought you'd know what was in the village we were heading too. I know some stuff about the people."

"No, never been this far North in Greece." said Hercules." I thought you'd know considering you live so close to the village. You must have visited it once."

" Well I don't and I did once when I was three. I just remember lots of nice people." said Xena. She said the word nice with disgust.

"You say it like it's disgusting." said Hercules

"Well it is. They were just to nice. When your a kid that's all fine and dandy because you get lots of treats, but as you get older it's just..." Xena made a face. Hercules laughed.

" Well I guess I know what you mean by to nice for a teenager and adult, but great when you're a kid." said Hercules." I suppose I have my limits of how much niceness I can take as well."

"Must have never reached it." said Xena getting a top Argo.

"She's a fine horse." said Hercules looking at the horse.

"Yep. Best I've ever had. I trained her to be a war horse, and pick up sounds stuff like that as a extra line of defense on the rode." said Xena.

"So when's the last time you've been to a festival?" asked Hercules after a moment of silence.

" hmm...probably the last festival we had was in honnor of Athena for blessing the village with wisdom and prosperity. Those festivals are never fun. I'm not into worshipping the gods, so when I was 12 I started skipping those festivals, but for some reason that year I just had to go to the festival this was two months, before Cortese attacked the village." said Xena a dreamy look came over her face, but than she hid it quickly before Hercules saw.

"So what happen that night you get lucky?" asked Hercules looking up at the sky.

"Um...No." said Xena turning to her left. Hercules turned to look at her hearing her hesitate. She refused to look at him for a minute than she did.

"What?" she asked as he kept staring at her.

"You're such a bad lier. I don't even know how you seduced all those men with false promises etc..." said Hercules." I know you had to lie to your mom about a few things as well. Everyone does when they're adult."

" Well it's hard to tell when someone's lying when your drunk, and they've found your spot. I'm a master with my tongue and frankly I usually can keep a straight face. I'm use to having to lie all the time , and I haven't had to do so for weeks." said Xena."Can't help it if I'm out of practice."

" So than if you did sleep with all those men. What makes you, so sure that Borias is Solan's father?" said Hercules. If looks could have kill Hercules would have been dead at that moment. He covered his mouth. Normally Xena would have kill someone for even suggesting that she was a whore to her face, but she controlled herself.

" Let's get one thing straight." said Xena stopping her horse.Her voice full of anger. Hercules stopped too and looked up at her.

"OK. I'm Sorry." said Hercules.

"Borias is Solan's father and what makes me so sure is because I didn't have sex with any other men. He's the only man I've had sex with in years. I've only had two other lovers. The others were just idiots. I'd find their spot get them drunk and in the morning they'd just wake up naked confused about last night. They'd ask what happen, so I told them they got what they wanted, which was sex." said Xena. She nubbed Argo into a walk. Hercules followed.

" I can see how that would work. I'm sorry for saying that." said Hercules, but she wouldn't talk to him She didn't talk to him for the next two days.

"Now that we're speaking again. You want to tell the truth about if you got laid or not?" asked Hercules." Or what you meant by he's the only man I've slept with for years?"

"If you must know I did get laid that night. What I meant by that was I'm a lesbian well I'm bisexual actually. I just have perfered women to men lately. Borias was an exception for some reason." said Xena. She said it all like it was nothing. Hercules said no more on the matter. Neither did Xena.

Two days later they were nearer to Potedia. Hercules was waiting for Xena to come back. She always went off in the morning. After awhile he went go to go find her. He found her swiming in the river. He watched from the cover of the trees as she rised out of the water

Xena took her hair out of it's ponytail and shook her hair out. To Hercules she looked even more sexier than before. Xena pretended not to notice him there.She'd heard him leaving camp. She wasn't a shamed of her body, so she didn't care though her hair blocked the view of her chest. She teased him for a minute. She than turned around and started to walk towards him.

"Do you like what you see?" asked Xena curiously as she walked towards him slowly. Hercules had a look of shock on his face. His eyes went even wider.

"No...I mean yes...NO!" said Hercules studdering. He was suripised she knew he was there. He was sure she couldn't see him even if he hadn't meant to be a pervert hiding in the bushes. She smirked at him and pulled him out of the bushes.

"What don't like what you see?" asked Xena in mock surpise."Am I not good enough for the great Hercules?"

"Yes...I mean...No, of course your good enough. You're more than good enough." said Hercules trying hard not to look down. He knew keeping his eyes on her face was best, but he couldn't do it. He felt he was digging himself in an even deeper hole than he had four days ago.

"Uhuh so why're you being a pervert?" asked Xena. She turned and put on her shift and leathers. They walked back to camp. She reached in her bag and grabbed a brush. She sat by the fire drying and brushing her hair.

"I came looking to see where you were. I didn't know you were naked honest." said Hercules." I didn't mean to peak."

"Doesn't matter not like you haven't seen me naked before." said Xena."Besides men are men no matter who they're."

"How do you know?" asked Hercules

" I spent 2 years with an army full of men. Your bound to learn a few no a lot of things about men. " said Xena

" I see. How old are you exactly?" asked Hercules. He really hoped she wasn't to young. Or he'd call her last lover a disgusting bastard. Than he'd have to wait and prevent other people from snatching her away from him. But than again she looked older than him. So maybe he was wrong. He did think she looked and acted like she was twenty-five. So maybe her last lover wasn't a disgusting bastard after all.

"Why all the questions?" asked Xena

" Because I want to know more about you. You can ask me questions no matter how personal or stupid they're." said Hercules."So how old are you?"

"How old are you?" asked Xena replying with a question again.

"I'm 20 years of age." said Hercules."Now if you would please answer my question."

" Alright first answer me this. How old do you think I am? Don't lie either." said Xena

"Fine, I think your at least 25 maybe." said Hercules.

"Your off." said Xena

"How off?" asked Hercules

"Like seven years off." said Xena

"You mean your 32 years old or your 18 years old?" said Hercules

"Which one do you think I am?" asked Xena

"I'm hoping your 18, but than again you look 25, so I'd say your 32 and just don't look it." said Hercules

"I'm 18, Herc." said Xena. She put her brush away and Hercules handed her a plate of eggs and rabbit meat that she'd caught lastnight.

" You want my eggs I haven't been keen on eggs lately?" asked Xena

" Sure. I honestly can't see what was, so bad about you before except the fact you killed people." said Hercules

"Well I loved to kill people I actually enjoyed it. I enjoyed destroying whole villages. I loved the power and money. Plus I usually put out an intimidating aura. Scares people. Most of all it was just Ares influencing me." said Xena." I realize now that he is bad for me."

" You don't have to worry about him a lot anymore." said Hercules.

"Actually I wouldn't mind kicking his ass again." said Xena. They laughed and shared stories about how they kicked Ares ass before. Hercules more so than Xena.

They packed up and moved on towards Potedia. They'd be there by mid morining the next day. Potedia looked beautiful all decorated for the festival to celebrate their good crops. The people of Potedia were very nice, but the way they looked at them told them they thought different.

"They have no idea who we are, so lets keep it that way. This village does not aprrove of warriors in anyway. That much I remember." said Xena

"When you say warriors you mean Heros and Warlords a like?" asked Hercules as they took a table in the back of the tavern. Xena nodded

"They don't like them yet when they're in trouble they call on a hero to help them, and they thank them and have them on their way out of the village within a day after it happens." said Xena.

"Well than we should probably have a cover story if we want to stay for the festival." said Hercules." The others are two far away, and I know you don't want to leave Solan for so long a lone. We should come up with a cover story."

"Yea,so we're actors and we're going around pretending to be warriors and seeing how believible it is because we're trying to pass as warriors, and want it as believible as possible." said Xena after a minute.

"Oh you're good. You can be my wife, and I'm a farmer when I'm not working as an actor." said Hercules.

"Alright we should just give them the whole perfect family bit except the fact I can't cook."said Xena

"Just try and avoid the subject of cooking food." said Hercules.

"I am." said Xena as their food was brought over.

"So what brings you two warriors to Potedia?" asked the waitress

"The festival, and our acting careers. Plus I figured my wife needed to have a little more fun in life." said Hercules

"Oh Yall are actors." She said loudly.

"Yea we're hoping our son will share our love for acting when he's old enough." said Xena

"Oh you have son how wonderful. How old is he?" She said just as loud as before, so the whole tavern could hear.

"A month or so old. He's visiting with his Grandmother." said Hercules

"Oh wow you look great for someone who just gave birth." said the waitriss

"Thanks." said Xena showing some emotion, but not a lot.

"What village or town did you come from?" She asked

"Amphipolis and Cornith before that." said Hercules

"Yea we're thinking about moving to Salonica." said Xena

" Yea we hear it's beautiful up there." said Hercules

"Oh you don't want to live up in Salonica. They got whores up there now you know." said a woman from the table to the left of Xena who had her back against the wall. They looked over at her and the waitriss turned too.

"What do you mean?" asked the waitriss."I heard that was a very nice town treat their women how they should be treated."

"That's cause they're always dying, but ever since those damn warriors brought all those women up their nearly half of them our the town whores. Babies are being born like crazy." said the woman

"Well that's because most of those women were already pregnant even the ones that chose not to remarry just yet." said Xena

"Look they were whores before they even got there." said the woman

"No, they were wives who were treated like excuse my language shit and beaten. Some were even beaten to death. They were lucky to find better lives in Salonica. I've been up there before. I was up there when they came and stay two or three days to see all the marridges take place. New houses were already being built to accomodate the familys." said Hercules

"I know that's right. And the weddings were beautiful that week too. Considering the haste they were put together in." said Xena

"Yea remember our wedding there." said Hercules. Xena gave him a look that said why'd you bring that up. He didn't look at her, but proceeded to tell them about their "Wedding" even though she didn't answer yet.

"Well that must have been lovely." said the waitriss

"Oh yes it was. When we got back from our hunnymoon in Chin I found out I was pregnant." said Xena. They asked about the hunnymoon,so she recreated her actual stay in Chin into something romanic.

"You took your wife to Chin. My husband took me to the inn for our free meal and we went home. We've been reproducing ever since." said the woman indicating five kids and the one in her arms."There's one on the way too."

"But the sixth one is barely a year old." said Xena

"I know, none of them were barely a year old when their brother or sister was born." said the woman

" That's gotta be rough on your body." said Hercules

"You're a strong woman, because after the third one I probably would have beat the hell out of my husband." said Xena

"That's exactly why your not pregnant again." said Hercules. They started to eat there mutton and potatoes.

"No, I'm not, but after this one I'm going to tell him I don't want anymore children." said the woman.

"Yes you're." said Xena as the waitriss went back to work.. A little while later they went up to their room.

"One bed." said Xena sighing.

"One bed." said Hercules."Well we did tell them we were married."

"Yea everything has a consequence besides it was fun though wasn't it?" said Xena

"Yea how'd you come up with the idea about Chin?"asked Hercules

"I actually was in Chin about 10 months ago. I just revised it to seem like we were there on our hunnymoon instead of me being there with Borias killing people." said Xena."But Chin inspires great sex I'll give him that. Considering he betrayed me twice."

She set her stuff down on one side of the bed. She yawned. A hot bath was waiting in the other room like she asked. She took off her boots and armor. She tied her hair up, so it wouldn't get wet with a long wooden pin they used in Chin that Lao Ma had given her. She had two, but she had misplaced it in Chin.

"Well it's done now. Your pretty good at making up stories." said Hercules

"Naw I'm good at lying that's what I'm good at." said Xena." I'm going to take a bath."

"Alright I'm going to go get us some clothes, so we blend in. What color dress do you want?" asked Hercules

" I already have a dress." said Xena." You can get you something though."

"Ok I'll see you in a few minutes." said Hercules. Xena nodded and went to go take her bath. She got in the water relaxing. She closed her eyes. She could hear Hercules talking to someone outside, and than both of them walking away. She opened her eyes and washed before continuing to sit with her eyes closed. A minute later a tingle went down her spine. She was annoyed at Ares for interupting her bath. She knew before she even opened her eyes.

"What do you want?" asked Xena not even opening her eyes.

"I'll never figure out how you do that." said Ares walking closer to the tub. He had his hands on the edges.

"What do you want Ares. I don't have time for your little games." said Xena. She opened her eyes.

" I want to give you back my army. Your gonna bring Greece to it's knees. And than when you build your empire here We can take down ceasar and your Empire will get bigger and bigger. said Ares."We'll breed as well. I know how important it is for you mortals to have an Heir."

"No, thanks I'm through with being your little warrior pet." said Xena."Besides I'd rather die than breed with you."

"You've been hanging around Hercules to long." said Ares

" No, I've been talking to you for to long. Beat it Ares." said Xena.

"Xena your going to be my warriorqueen wether you like it or not." said Ares as he disappeared. Hercules walked in the room and came in to the bathroom.

"Xena you ok I thought I heard Ares voice." said Hercules. He looked around probably expecting him to be there.

"Yea he was here, and I told him to get lost." said Xena."He ruined my bath." She stood up and got out of the tub. Hercules handed her, her robe. It was blood red and long. Made her look very sexy. She let her hair down. Hercules went back into the room as did Xena.

"How can you just change or something in front of me?" asked Hercules

"How can you look when I do change in front of you?" asked Xena smirking as he got embaressed.

" Well it's a little hard not too." said Hercules

"Yea well you should have some respect and look away like a gentlemen." said Xena though she really didn't care. She liked the fact he was attracted to her. She was attracted to him though she wouldn't admit it not yet.

" Alright from now on I will." said Hercules

"Ok than. I'm going to sleep I'm tired." said Xena." Wake me for the festival."

"I was going to take a nap too." said Hercules as Xena sat down on one side of the bed.

"So than if you wake up before me than wake me up and vice versa." said Xena

"There's only one bed." said Hercules

"So what we're married remember." said Xena sensing someone was outside the door. She indicated the door. Hercules got the picture.

"Oh right. So hard to remember since we're such good friends sometimes." said Hercules getting into the bed also. Xena got under the covers and closed her eyes.

"Sleep well." said Xena

"Ditto." said Hercules. Xena was out in minutes. Hercules lay awake waiting for them to leave, and than managed to drop off to sleep. Two hours later they were still asleep. When night came there was a knock on the door. Xena woke up first than Hercules.

"I got it." said Xena. She got up and went to the door and opened it.

"Down here." said a little voice. She looked down to see a blond haired, green eyed little girl.

"What is it?" asked Xena folding her arms.

"Um...I was told to tell you the festival was about to start soon after you eat dinner, and to show you around and be your guide." said the girl.

"Oh alright. What's your name little girl?" asked Hercules as he wrapped his arm around Xena's waist. You never know if they had this little girl spying on them. All they needed to know was what they'd been told. Hercules was not in the mood to have people chase them away, because they chose to fight for good. Though warlords did deserve it sometimes unless they were redeming themselves.

"I'm not a little girl and my name's Gabrielle.I'm 15 years old. I can't help it if I'm short for my age." said Gabrielle.

"Well Gabrielle. Why don't you wait for us downstairs and we'll meet you there." said Hercules. Gabrielle nodded and ran off downstairs. Xena closed the door and Hercules released her.

"If your gonna do that not, so tight next time." said Xena taking a deep breath.

"Sorry." said Hercules."Sometimes I forget my own strength."

"It's cool just not so tight next time." said Xena. She put on a shift and a red dress that was slightly longer than her battle dress.

"I'm guessing your favorite color is Blood Red or maroon actually." said Hercules indicating the dress and robe.

"Yea, Blood Red(maroon),Scarlet, sky blue, the regular blue, Midnight blue, Lavender, purple, sometimes brown, and black." said Xena."How about you?"

"How about me what?" asked Hercules

"What's your favorite color you know mine." said Xena brushing her hair.

"My favorite color is blue." said Hercules."I like other colors, but blues my all time favorite."

"Cool we should probably get things like this straight if the question comes up." said Xena

"Alright you first." said Hercules.

"I went to school have a very good education, my favorite food is chicken, I hate dresses if they aren't short as you can see, my favorite drink is Port or Cider, I love horses, I love traveling, I **like** festivals **sometimes**, and I hate men who beat their women or children." said Xena."Now you." She empesized the words like and sometimes.

" I have a very good education, my favorite food is rabbit, I hate pants that aren't leather except when I'm helping to build something because than they're agrivating, I love Cider, and I don't like horses as much as I use to when I was a kid. Bad experience didn't tell you about it. I love festivals and I hate mutton. I love to travel. I hate child or women abusers as well." said Hercules

"You ate it earlier." said Xena

"Yea well I was hungry earlier considering your cooking and than mines being no better when you really think about it." said Hercules as he got into his breeches and shirt. He had his arm around her waist as they walked down stairs.

"Alright, well what's your favorite book and/or story?" said Xena as they sat at the same table they had earlier. She got a good look at who was in the tavern many of the people who'd been there earlier. There was one guy who was staring at them as they sat down. He didn't seem to like them although they hadn't even met yet. She watched him for a minute and caught his eye. He looked startled at the intensity there. He looked away quickly.

"My favorite book is stone soup." said Hercules

"That's a story not a book. Doesn't matter mines is a book called '_The many reachs of the mind_'. It's all about the human and animal mind. It tells you how the minds of the hunters and prey work. Any prey can turn into a hunter and any hunter can turn to prey in a matter of minutes or hours maybe even seconds. Sometimes days and some times years. Either way you die, because you might not be prey of animal or another human, but your prey to diease or natural causes of death." said Xena. She took a sip of her cider. The waitress had brought over along with the dinner special for tonight.

"Chicken, potatoes, and mushrooms?" said Hercules

"Yea children come in here all the time at dinner, so we just put mushrooms on all the plates, so we don't have to take special orders for vegetables." said the waitriss. She wasn't the same one from earlier.

"How nice." said Xena sarcastically

"You know they don't seem over baringly nice." said Hercules

"Because they're supicious of who we're. If we'd walked in here with "normal" clothes on. They'd have welcomed us as we walked to the inn earlier." said Xena as they ate. A young girl with blond hair walked by them. She stopped at their table all smiles.

"What do you want?" asked Xena not really wanting to talk to anyone at that moment. She didn't see it was the girl from earlier.

"I'm your guide remember?" said Gabrielle

"Oh yea forgot about you." said Xena continuing to ignore her.

"Did you eat dinner?" asked Hercules taking over the conversation. Xena was obviously tired of talking.

"Yes, I ate with my family." said Gabrielle. She pointed to them. Hercules and Xena looked over to see Gabrielle's family. Her father was the same guy that had been watching them earlier.

"Gabrielle does your father have something against us?" asked Xena staring back. Her father scrowled and turned away. Xena smirked as she looked at Gabrielle who sat down on her left side.

"He thinks your warriors in diguse trying to see how much of a fight we'll put up when you send your army to attack the village." said Gabrielle." He's stubborn, and refuses to believe that you two are actors etc..."

"Does he think we're married?" said Hercules curiously.

"No, he thinks your his bitch although you're partners of war." said Gabrielle.

"Well you can go tell him I'm nobody's bitch." said Xena.

"Alright I will." said Gabrielle."But I know you two are warriors. Your a warlord. I heard you had a son. I heard that you were dealing with dahak or somebody. I also know your not married, because I'm sure we would have heard of it by now."

"How do you know? How do you know we just didn't have a private wedding?" said Hercules.

"I trust my instincts and you two don't act much like a married couple. You laugh and talk like your friends. You don't even kiss or hold hands." said Gabrielle." Besides I don't see any jewelry to show you're married."

"Well I'm not much of a hand holder. " said Xena." And he had this made for me as token for our marridge." She pulled out her necklace that Borias had actually had made for her.

"And I prefer to have my arm around her waist." said Hercules." Maybe we just haven't had a reason to kiss in public."

"Oh wow that's beautiful." said Gabby mesmerized.

"Besides marridge is friendship you have to be friends first, lovers second, and husband and wife third." said Xena." If your not friends than you probably have nothing in common, and the marridge just won't work out. One of you or both of you would always be miserible."

"Really." said Hercules agreeing.

"Oh wow marridge is work." said Gabrielle."What's a lover?"

"You should ask your mom." said Hercules. Gabrielle nodded.

"Can I wear your necklace until after the festival?" asked Gabrielle

"Sure if you promise not to lose it." said Xena. She took it off and let Gabrielle wear it.

"I promise I'll take good care of it." said Gabrielle happily as they finished eatting and stood up. They walked over to the table and shook hands with Gabrielle's parents.

"This is my little sister Lila." said Gabrielle. Lila looked to be about nine or ten. She showed Lila the necklace.

"I'm not little. I'm taller than you." said Lila immediately while she looked over the necklace.

"I can see that. What's that behind your ear?" said Xena she pulled a dinar from behind Lila's ear. Lila's mouth fell open as Xena held the dinar out to her she took it.

"You should really think about cleaning behind your ears." said Xena

"Not if I'm going to get more dinars." said Lila. She search behind both her ears for more dinars.

"Only an adult can find them." said Hercules."Watch." Lila removed her hands from her ears Hercules pulled a dinar out of her ear.

"Yay another dinar." said Lila. She took the dinar from Hercules.

"Lila say thank you." said Hecuba Gabrielle's mother.

"No thanks needed just performing a little magic trick." said Hercules

"Lila give the warriors back their dinars." said Hedotus

" No, it's ok they were a gift, besides it's her dinars. They came from those dirty little ears of hers." said Xena tickling an ear. Lila giggled.

"Take it back we don't need your stolen money." said Hedotus."Your just going to steal it back later."

"If I was going to attack this village I wouldn't be wasting my time mingling with you. I'd prefer not to know my victims. Now I'm saying this once. I'm not going to attack this village, because one I don't have an army and two that's not what I do for a living." said Xena annoyed.

"Yea it's not what we do we're actors. But you'll have to excuse my wife's outburst. She's been a bit moody since she gave birth. " said Hercules."Come on hunny why don't we go outside and wait for the festival to begin."

"Yea sorry for my little mood swing." said Xena. She let Hercules lead her outside.

"Xena, Xena, Xena. When are you going to learn to control that temper of yours?" said Hercules in mock scolding when they were well away out of earshot of everyone else.

" Probably never, but for my sake I'll try. I hate being acused of things I'm not about to do." said Xena." I don't care if I've done it before I hate being acused of something I'm not going to do yet or not again anytime soon."

"You are a moody one, aren't you?" said Hercules. Xena looked at him annoyed.

"Maybe. When is this stupid festival going to start. The sooner it's over the sooner we're out of here, and I can spend time with Solan again." said Xena

"We haven't even been gone that long besides the festival lasts three days we'll leave on the third day before the festival starts back up again." said Hercules.

"No, we can stay for the whole thing. Unless the whole town gets like her father." said Xena. Xena noticed Gabrielle watching them out of the corner of her eye. She motion to Hercules by running a hand though her hair.

"Alright. Come on the festivals starting." said Hercules. He kissed Xena, and wrapped his arm around her waist before they walked over to Gabrielle. Xena tried not to look stunned and returned the kiss.

"You ready to show us around?" asked Hercules when they were near enough to be heard.

"Yea. We'll start by watching the pie eatting contest in front of the bakery." said Gabrielle. She led them to a long table. They were one of the first ones there. As it got a little darker the kids showed up as did more people to watch. The baker came out with a pie for each. They watched as a kid won a free pie for the rest of his family. Than adults had their own seperate pie eatting contest. They to took home a pie for their family or they could make the baker give a pie to every child in the orphanage. Of course the orphans were disappointed when the guy decided to eat the pie. He didn't even share with his family. Hercules pointed to the orphans. Xena looked at Hercules. They seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"I'll go talk to the baker." said Xena as everyone left.

"I'll go talk to the kids, so they can linger." said Hercules."Gabrielle why don't you help me." Gabrielle nodded. Xena followed the baker into his shop.

"Excuse me. Would you do me a favor?" said Xena. The baker turned around.

"Depends what're you going to give me in return?" said the baker looking her up and down.

"Well I want you to give each and everyone of those orphans outside a pie or whatever sweet they want." said Xena."What you get in return will be a surpise."

"Well I don't like surpises." said the baker.

"How much for giving them whatever sweet they want?" asked Xena

" Fifty dinars no more no less." said the baker

"Fair enough there are a lot of them." said Xena. She motioned for Hercules to bring them all in. After all the children had gotten what they wanted Xena payed the man.

"Thank you Lady, Sir." They said. They were all smiles. They left. Gabrielle than took them to see a show where they were portraying the life of Homer so far.

" They're pretty good." said Xena.

"Yea I wrote it." said Gabrielle

"You did well your pretty good at writing." said Hercules as the play ended. They applauded and praised the teenagers. Someone yelled at them what did they think of the acting.

"Hey why don't we get the actors to do a play?" said some guy who was obviously a proud father."I'm sure they could give some of you guys kids a few pointers."

"Yes why don't you." said Hedotus.

"Alright." said Hercules. Xena looked at him hiding her startled look.

"What play exactly are we going to do?" asked Xena as they went behind stage. After he half dragged her there.

"Easy the battle of Xena and Hercules." said Hercules. He tossed her a fake sword. He grabbed one himself.

"Well Hercules doesn't use a sword remember?" said Xena as she practiced a few moves.

"Good point." said Hercules."You five come here." Five boys came over.

"Your my army. So grab a fake sword and just do everything I say." said Xena. They nodded. They gathered five girls and five boys to play farmers and wives. They were to be the village Xena was attacking.

"You boy come here. I need my trusty sidekick Iolaus." said Hercules. He tossed the boy the sword he held. He dropped it and picked it up.

" I don't know how to use a sword." said the boy.

"Just wing it your an actor. That's what we do. Do some little rolls under people and pretend to hit them in the back of the head." said Hercules. They practiced for a moment as Xena took out a scoll and quickly wrote out the story. She let everyone read over it quickly. Than gave it to Gabrielle to tell the story.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. The story our actors are about to preform is a new one just recently written. It's about a fight between Good and Evil. Xena the Destroyer of Nations against Hercules the son of Zues. Xena is attacking the small farming village of Amphipolis. Hercules and his best friend Iolaus are called to help the small village defend themselves and live in peace once again." read Gabrielle. She had a great voice. The curtins open up.

"Scene: Hercules and Iolaus have entered the village, and are talking to the villagers." said Gabrielle. She walked off to the side.

"Hercules thank god you have come. She is set to attack in a matter of hours." said villager 1

" Don't worry we'll do everything to save your village." said Hercules

"Thank you Hercules we're honored to have you here." said villager 1

"Hello Hercules is not the only one saving you here." said the boy playing Iolaus.

"Well who're you?" said villager 2

"You've never heard of me the great hunter Iolaus Hercules best and gay friend." said the boy playing Iolaus. He sounded as if he was gay as well. The boy was a great actor. The villagers shook their heads. The boy had a look of shock on his face as if he couldn't believe it.

"We should get to safety soon. That bitch will be here soon." said girl villager 1

"What if that bitch is among us. I mean has anyone really even seen her?" asked Xena disgused as a villager. Everyone shook their heads.

" Well we'd all be dead if that was the case." said Hercules. They all nodded and turned to go. Xena stood their smirking. They froze end of scene. Gabrielle came back on scene.

"Before any of the villagers knew they were being attacked by five hundred men." said Gabrielle. She left the stage and five men came out with swords. They went straight for the villagers. The women ran. Xena stripped off her disguse and pulled out her sword. She sumersaulted right in front of Hercules who had just kicked one of her men onto his face. He deflected her blow of her sword with that of one of her men. They ended in an all out sword fight. The women escaped. The men were being killed by other men. Iolaus did rolls and knocked two out. The two left attacked him. The fighting looked real between Xena and Hercules. The villagers of Potidaea ohh and ahh in the apropriate times.

"Give it up Hercules." said Xena

"Nope I'll save these people even if I have to die trying." said Hercules.

"If that's the way you want it that's the way you'll have it." said Xena as she brought her sword down on his head. He deflected it and she kicked him in the stomach at the same time. He flew back. She stood over him for the killing blow. Her man in the mean time had tied Iolaus up and the women and children. Some others who they asked to play the children had come out.

"Time to die." said Xena as she kicked the sword out of his hand. Hercules kicked her feet out from under her. She back flipped back.

" Kill him!" yelled Xena she pointed her sword at Hercules. One by one they all got knocked out.

"Why don't you just give up you can't win." said Hercules. As they faught once again. Xena's sword flew out of her hand. They started fighting hand to hand combat. With the use of make up they had fake blood and such that they quickly put on when they were turned away from the aduience. Xena took out a fake dagger. Hercules knocked that out her hand. He held the knife to her thoart as she layed on the ground. She lifted her head, so he could slit her thoart.

"Give up now. You'll leave these people in peace." said Hercules

" I never give up. I've never given up in my entire life and I don't plan to start now because some man has a dagger to my thoart. I'll die first." said Xena." Go ahead. Kill me."

"No I won't kill you. I don't kill unless I have too." said Hercules. He removed the dagger and released her.

"I'll be back Hercules, and I'll kill you and this village." said Xena as she stood up and backed up. She picked up her sword keeping an eye on him.

"And I'll be waiting." said Hercules watching her as well.

"Retreat." said Xena. Her army of five hundred men stood up and ran. She followed. When she was gone Hercules released his friend and the village women, and children. Xena came back on set as a little girl.

"Daddy dead?" she said. Her one line. The women started crying all over again. One of the women hugged Xena who was bending down her knees to be shorter hugged her to her skirt.

"Yes your father is dead and you can thank that bitch Xena." said girl villager 2. Xena started crying. They pretended to bury their dead husbands. Gabrielle came back on stage.

"The village women buried their husbands in gief. A warrior from Xena's army torched the field of wheat. The fire spread quickly They did not know how they would survive without their husbands. Two of the women were lucky enough to remarry a passing traveler after awhile. The others weren't, so lucky as their children straved to death. They died of diease. Hercules and Iolaus did everything they could to help, but it was just no use or hope for the small village who refused to leave their village. Nothing would grow no matter how hard they worked. No one would come to trade. And so ends the play with a tragic ending." said Gabrielle. She bowed. Everyone clapped. They loved it for a play that had just been written. They all came out and took a bow. There was whistling and so on. Hearty claps on the back were given to everyone involved.

"You guys were pretty good for some one who aren't actors." said Gabrielle. They were enjoying a slice of cake her mother had given them after the play.

"How do you know we aren't actors. Acting is part of being a hero." said Hercules

" Or being a warlord." said Xena as she finished her cake.

"You know you weren't so bad yourself." said Hercules."I could actually feel myself there even though I was the actor."

"Yea I know what you mean." said Xena agreeing with him.

" The ending sucked don't you think." said Gabrielle.

"Well I did write it in two minutes." said Xena

" Yea you have to cut her some slack." said Hercules as he finished his cake along with Gabrielle who'd had two slices of cake before that.

"Aren't you full yet? Where do you put it all?" asked Xena as Gabrielle took some meat off a plate and two more slices of cake.

" Nope. My stomach that's where." said Gabrielle as she kept eatting. They just watched her eat till her hearts content. Every time they asked she was never done. Finally she was. They all danced around enjoying the rest of the night and drinking. Except Xena who didn't like to dance, but Hercules convince her to dance just once. Than they were all dancing slow when the music got softer.

"Come on one more." said Hercules as Xena tried to go back to her seat.

"I don't want too." said Xena as she tried to go back again, but he pulled her back and started dancing. He led her into the middle of the dance floor.

"Oh come on your not going to leave your husband standing in the middle of the dance floor alone are you? Even if he is your fake husband." said Hercules as they danced.

"Alright fine." said Xena as they continued dancing. Later they went to bed. They took a bath together drunk as hell, but nothing happened. They slept in until lunch. They woke up naked in each others arms. Xena was up first though. She sat up and noticed the absence of her clothes. Hercules woke up and sat up quickly. He held the cover tightly to his waist.

"Are you in pain of any kind?" asked Hercules after a minute.

"No why? Did we have sex last night?" said Xena

"Is there blood on the sheets?" asked Hercules

"No, why're you asking me these weird questions." said Xena

"No reason." said Hercules. Xena let it drop for now. She ran a hand though her hair. She caught Hercules staring at her breasts as she tried to remember if they had sex or not.

" This isn't a very fair situation." said Xena after a moment.

"What do you mean?" said Hercules looking up at her face. Xena shook her head with a smile. He knew just when to look a woman straight in the face.

" Well you have a good view of part of my equipment I should say where as I haven't seen any of your equipment besides your tongue, but that doesn't really count now does it." said Xena

"No, but you don't need to see me." said Hercules

"Why? Your not small are you? You didn't look small when you got excited." said Xena.

"No I'm not small." said Hercules quickly.

"Than what's the problem?" said Xena turning around all the way to look at him.

"I'm to large. I use to hurt my wife everytime we had sex. I'm amazed she even got pregnant." said Hercules.

"I don't believe you." said Xena."Your just trying to throw me off with some bullshit."

"No, I'm serious. No woman ever believes until they see it." He showed her. Xena's mouth dropped open. He got dressed after a minute as did Xena. He led her downstairs she was silent. They took Argo out for a ride.Xena came back to her senses enough to do some sword drills and than some sword drills with Hercules and than hand to hand combat drills. Hercules sat on the ground breathing hard. Xena joined him winded.

"You know you never told me if you thought I was to big, but from your reaction you probably do right?" said Hercules

" No, actually I don't. Your 12 inches long correct and 12 inchs thick. Sure that's bigger than most, but it's normal big. I've just never seen one normal big." said Xena." Now when you get passed that than that's when you have a problem. Besides you probably did it to hard or fast for your wife. She probably prefered it soft and slow considering your size."

"I grow another inch in width when I get hard." said Hercules

"Yea that's ok, but it was length I was talking about." said Xena." We should have sex right here right now." She was on top of Hercules in a heartbeat with his shirt off. No one would be able to see them the grass was pretty high. If someone did come by they'd pass right by them if they were real quiet and Argo didn't show them the way.

"No, why don't we spar somemore." said Hercules

"Your lips are telling me no, but your eyes are telling me yes. The only thing keeping you from not doing me right now is shear will." said Xena

"You have pick up lines now?" said Hercules

"No, Let's face it I don't need pick up lines to pick up men." said Xena.

"Alright well you want to spar somemore." said Hercules

"No, sparing will just turn me on more." said Xena as she ran her hands over his smooth chest. She ran her hand all over his chest. She pulled him up into a sitting position.

"Xena no we shouldn't." said Hercules

"Why not? What're you afraid of ?" asked Xena

" That'll hurt you like my wife and past girlfriends." said Hercules.

"Well I'm not them. I like it rough anyway. Besides knowing me I'll tell you how to bring it up or down a notch or two." said Xena." Now will you do me right here, before I go strangle somebody?"

"Yea, I'll do you. Who am I to pass up sex if you want it and I want it." said Hercules as she pulled off his pants. She pulled off his shorts that he wore under his pants.

"You had this all planned out didn't you?" said Hercules after they kissed again.

"Yea, I've been planning on doing you for awhile now." said Xena."I heard you all those times before coming to get me. I purposely let you get a sneak peak." Hercules sat up in a sitting position again. He kissed her neck. She did the same to him, so they both had love bites. Neither of them talked as their lust took over.They were about to actually engage in intercourse when they heard a woman's voice.

"Xena, Hercules where are you? We need your help!" yelled a woman.

"Oh damn it." said Xena as they quickly got dressed. They stood up, and waved the woman over.

"What's the problem?" asked Hercules immediately.

"Some of the girls have gone missing. Have you seen Gabrielle or anybody?" said the woman

"Nope sorry, but we'll help look for them." said Hercules." Xena why don't you go that way and I'll go back to the village and help them search there." Xena nodded and whistled for Argo.

The woman never saw her weapons as Hercules led her away. She looked for the girls and didn' t like what she found. Draco had captured most of the girls of the village. She hopped off Argo.

She sent Argo away after getting her weapons. She let her warcry and flipped inbetween the men and the girls.They immediately attacked her. She held them off laughing in their faces.

"Is that all you've got?" said Xena sounding disapointed and sad. They attacked at again. She kicked their asses, but got hit in the back of the head almost lost conciousness. The girls helped her back to the village. She actually did lose some consiousness when she was back at the tavern/inn. She woke up to find Gabrielle, Lila, Hercules, and a lot of other people staring down at her.

"You have a really bad head injury." said Hercules as a hand went to her head and everyone stepped back a bit.

"We've all talked and as soon as you and your wife are fit to travel we want you warriors out of the village." said a man who was probably the village elder.

"She saved our lives I think you should show her a little more respect." said One of the girls she'd saved. Gabrielle and the others agreed as they all left arguing as to whether or not they should. Gabrielle stayed with Hercules and Xena.

"Now don't say it, because I know your dying too." said Hercules

"Alright I'll save it for another time. I think I'll be alright to travel tonight." said Xena

"It is night." said Gabrielle

"Alright early in the morning than." said Xena as she sat up. She brushed off Hercules's help.

"Can I get you anything?" asked Gabrielle

"No, thanks." said Xena

"Hercules?" said Gabrielle

"No, you had better go home. We don't want you to get into any trouble." said Hercules

"What'd you do while I was fighting those idiots?" asked Xena

"Faught off the rest of the idiots who chose to attack the village." said Hercules. Xena nodded and stopped because it hurt and made her dizzy.

" I don't want to go and I've been thinking of leaving this place. I feel like there's just some adventure out there waiting for me to write it down." said Gabrielle.

"Well you should follow what evers in your heart." said Xena. Gabrielle didn't seem to believe her for a minute which was so unlike Gabrielle being the sweet innocent person she was that saw the good in everything and everyone around her.

"I've always been taught to ignore my imagination." said Gabrielle.

"What and now your going to listen to them. You don't ignore your imagination when you write plays do you? I've seen you telling stories to little children and you don't ignore your imagination when you tell them a story?" said Xena

"No, I guess I don't." said Gabrielle

"You don't guess you know. Your heart is not your imagination, and if you follow your heart than you might go wrong and than again you might not. I followed my heart and became a great warrior. I followed my heart and got into bad circumstances with Ceasar and now I have an ever burning hate for him. See either way your heart is either going to make you happy or sad, but it's all worth it. Except you must at all times think about what your heart is tell you. Let your mind and heart be one and make the decision together." said Xena."That's where I slipped up with Caesar."

"Can you teach me how to do that?" asked Gabrielle

"No, it's something you have to learn on your own. Now I'm done being nice today so leave me alone." said Xena. Gabrielle a little hurt by the rejection left.

"That was mean." said Hercules

"So what I just gave her a whole fucking speech, and I have a head injury. I'm pissed that I had to be carried up here because I passed out." said Xena

"Your just a angry woman aren't you?" said Hercules

"Yes, got a problem with it?" said Xena her voice hinted more anger.

"Yes I do." said Hercules

"Tough luck deal with it." said Xena as the music from the festival started.

"You want to attend the festival once before we go in the morning. Maybe it'll make you feel better." said Hercules

"Not really. I just wanna get out of here, before they all have a cow." said Xena."Did you check on Argo?"

"Yes, she's fine. Let's go to the festival as ourselves for once. The charade was hard work." said Hercules

"Yes, but it was fun though." said Xena

"To bad they still think we're husband and wife." said Hercules

"Well I think after awhile they'll catch on that we aren't husband and wife." said Xena as she stood up.

"Aren't you going to put back on your leathers?" asked Hercules

"No, I'm myself no matter what I wear. This dress only makes it less obvious I'm a warrior. The only thing that marks you as a warrior is your leather pants and arm bands. Otherwise unless someone knows you they won't even know you're a warrior. Clothes don't define who you're your personality does." said Xena

"You read to much." said Hercules

"Thank you." said Xena as They walked downstairs.

"It wasn't a compliment." said Hercules

"I know, but when people tell me I read to much which they don't often do because no one has gotten this close to me as you have, I consider it a compliment." said Xena

"Cool I've accomplished something on this trip." said Hercules. They joined the party, but weren't welcomed by anyone except the girls that had been saved. Xena did a few more tricks for Lila who was later dragged away by her mother. They ate alone until Gabrielle came over with pie. She asked to come a long with them they of course refused and told her she should stay with her family.


	6. Home Again

Chapter 6: Home again

In the morning they packed and were ready to go after saddling Argo. They walked out of the village going towards Amphipolis. They walked in silence for hours It took a shorter time than they remembered to get half way there.They got attacked by some men, but they quickly got rid of them. They were near Salonica by night time. They went passed it wanting to camp outside. They reached Amphipolis the next day by night fall. They watched the small village from a cliff.

"It's beautiful up here isn't it Gabrielle." said Xena after a moment.

"How'd you know I was there." said Gabrielle coming out of the bushes. Xena didn't turn around.

"You've been following us for two days. We saw you leave the village about five minutes after us." said Hercules not turning around either.

"Oh, so where are we?" asked Gabrielle standing next to Xena.

"Amphipolis my home. I believe home is where you should be as well." said Xena watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, but they wanted me to marry some guy whose a farmer and he's boring. That's why I asked could I come plus I thought about it and figured your adventures are the ones I am suppose to right down plus more people with realize that your not bad anymore." said Gabrielle.

"Can you cook?" asked Xena

"Yes, will you let me stay with you than?" asked Gabrielle excitedly

"It's dangerous on the rode Gabrielle I don't know." said Xena

"Please Please I won't get into much trouble." said Gabrielle

"I think you should learn some moves to protect yourself if your going to travel with me." said Xena

"Xena I won't fight. I just want to be a bard, and you can help me make that happen." said Gabrielle with authority. Xena was startled a little, but smiled.

"Alright." said Xena."Why don't we go down to the village now?"

"Way ahead of you!" yelled Hercules to them from half way down the hill.

"Hey no fair you cheated we were suppose to be racing to the village!" Xena yelled down to him. She ran down to him. Gabrielle followed in delight as they all raced to the village. Xena was the first one to touch the door of her mother's tavern.

"Your slow for someone who cheated." said Xena as they all took a breather.

"Your fast for someone who started very late after I did." said Hercules

"I use to race my brothers all the time. I'd give them a bigger head start than that." said Xena. She whistled for Argo who faithfully was still close by. They went in and Xena stabled Argo. When she came in her mother was serving Hercules and Gabrielle.

"Hey Mother." said Xena as they hugged. Her mother looked a little sad. Xena looked worried.

"How was the festival?" said Mother

"Good until they found out we were warriors. You know how that village is." said Xena sitting down.

"Yea savages when it comes to getting a warrior out of their village." said Mother.

"Mom this is Gabrielle. She's going to be a bard." said Xena."Gabrielle this is my mother Cyrene."

"Oh how nice." said Mother."Very pleased to meet you Gabrielle."

"Nice to meet you Cyrene." said Gabrielle. They shook hands.

"How's Solan?" asked Xena.

"Daughter can I see you upstairs for a minute." said Mother. Xena looked worried as they went upstairs. They went into a room. Solan's bed was in the room next to the bed Xena slept in when she was here. Xena went over to Solan he was pale and green. Not a good color. She felt his forehead he had a fever.

"What's wrong with him?" said Xena

"Solan's sick and the healer doesn't think he's going to make it. He stopped having bowels and he has a real bad cough." said Cyrene."He's gone to sleep now, but when he's awake he screams and screams. No one knows what to do."

" Didn't you try castor oil?" said Xena

"We can hardly get it into his mouth the way he moves and screams." said Mother

"Why didn't you send for me." said Xena

" I wanted you to have some fun." said Mother

"Mom please don't do that again. If Solan's sick and he's staying with you for a few days have a messenger come get me." said Xena

"Alright, I understand how you'd want to be close to him if he was sick." said Mother."I'll bring you some food up here." Xena nodded as she picked up her little baby boy who was wiggling in discomfort. She rocked him. Her mother brought back food. Hercules came in to check on her.

"What's wrong?" asked Hercules

"Solan's sick. He'll get better soon." said Xena. Gabrielle knocked on her way to bed hearing a babies cries and wanted to see if she could help.

"Yea what is it?" said Xena opening the door.

"Oh is that your baby crying." said Gabrielle pointing to the bed.

"Yes, I was serious when I said I had a kid." said Xena

" What's it's name?" said Gabrielle looking at him. Xena closed the door behind her.

"Solan." said Xena she picked him up and rocked him trying to sooth him.

"Can I try I'm pretty good with babies." said Gabrielle

"No, he's sick and is experiencing some discomfort from within." said Xena, but she let Gabrielle hold him anyway. He started crying even harder, because Xena wasn't holding him. She gave him back, and his cries weren't so loud. Finally he drifted back to sleep.

"Gabrielle why don't you get some rest. You must be tired from today's journey." said Xena. Gabrielle nodded and left. Xena undress and stood in her shift in her room. She layed on her bed trying to figure out how to help him. When he woke up again she suddenly realized what needed to be done if Castor oil wasn't going to help him. She lifted him up and wrapped him in a blanket. She went to the kitchen with him crying in her arms. She got some lard and took a walk down to the river where the moon was shinning brightly in the clearing. She sat down on a rock and turned Solan over exposing his buttocks in the air as he screamed his little heart out. She stuck the lard up his butt and than her finger. Finally her nail caught on to something and she pulled it out. Solan was so surpised he stopped crying. As she pulled out the poo others followed. When it was all said and done. She broke his fever with the cold river water, but he still had a cough.

She wrapped him up in the blanket and took him back to the inn. In her room she sat close to the fire keeping him warm. She made a special tea and fed it to him. He didn't like it, but she got enough down his throat to do him some good. His cough wasn't so bad anymore after a few days. Hercules left for thebes to check on Iolaus and Alexandros.

"How's my little grandson today." said Mother. She took him from Xena when they came in from their walk.

"Better. His fever's gone and his cough's not so bad anymore. Plus he's not uncomfortable anymore." said Xena. Gabrielle was on the stage telling stories.

"Good." said Mother."How long are you staying?" She had been comtemplating asking her daughter that for the past few days now.

"Until Solan gets better than I thought we'd go to athens." said Xena. Her mother nodded and asked Xena to watch the inn while she spent more time with her grandson. Xena nodded. Solan got better in the next four days. Xena prepared to leave.


	7. The Road

Chapter 7: The Road

"Bye mom we'll see you at Winter Solstice." said Xena as she kissed and hugged her grandson. Xena hugged her mom. Even Gabrielle got a hug. They left for athens than. Solan in a sling on Xena's back and Gabrielle and Xena walking side by side. Gabrielle was a little chatter box and kept on talking.

"Xena is Hercules really the father of Solan." said Gabrielle during lunch. They'd stopped for lunch on the 16th day and Gabrielle was massaging her toes. They'd pretty much been going non-stop sort of. They usually skipped lunch. Gabrielle was worn out. Sadly it didn't stop her mouth to Xena's disappointment at lunch. She longed for some quiet time.

"No, Solan's father died when he was born. You need sterdier boots." said Xena

"Why?" said Gabrielle. Xena was feeding Solan.

"Why what? Why'd he die? or Why do you need new boots?" asked Xena

"Both." said Gabrielle after thinking about it for a minute.

"Well someone murdered him, and as to why you need new boots. The ones you have aren't good for the traveling we'll be doing plus they're already falling apart look." said Xena She pointed to the hole in the toe of the boot.

" Oh that sucks. When can I get new boots?" asked Gabrielle

"There's a village not to far from here where you can get some new boots, clothes, and all that stuff you need to write down what's been going on for the past few days." said Xena."Plus you can get a man and if you don't want a man. You can get a woman." She whispered the last part. She laughed to herself and when Gabrielle asked her what was so funny she refused to tell her.

"Fine don't tell me." said Gabrielle

"I won't." said Xena

"Fine. Now what do you mean new clothes." said Gabrielle

"Well you can't travel in a dress. It'll just be a nuisance, and I think it's ugly." said Xena. Gabrielle refused to change clothes.Xena shugged and said she'd come to her senses eventually. They continued towards the village. They restocked on any supplies they might need and got Gabrielle some new boots. They got Solan some sumer clothes because it was summer. That night Gabrielle was very quiet as she wrote on one of her new scolls. They reach athens a week later and Gabrielle entered her new story into the bard contest and won. Xena was happy for her. She dragged her to some damn plays and Xena dragged her to some Olympic type games, which she didn't care for just as much as Xena didn't care for those horrible plays.

They got to know each other and by Winter Solstice they could truely say they were best friends Solan was 8 months and his smiles just lit up Xena and Gabrielle's life. Gabrielle felt as if Solan was her own son too. Gabrielle just loved Solan. They hadn't seen Hercules since the festival. Last they heard he was on the other side of the world. They saw Alexandros who had taken a wife since Xena had last saw him. Winter Solstice was alright except they had to stop some king who hated Christmas and was kicking all of the orphans out on christmas.

They managed to save the orphans and reunit the king with his long lost wife. Xena's mother was mad they'd missed christmas, but was glad that they'd helped out those poor orphans. They exchanged presents.

They traveled into what was amazon land. Gabrielle was given the right of cast for shielding a amazon princess with her body. She died anyway sadly. They excepted it, but not everyone did. They had a fight between the centaurs and the amazons.

Xena tecnically became queen when she beat the queen in the royal challenge, but she denied it. By right she was. She ended up getting the centaurs and amazons to band together. Gabrielle thought this was going to be her best story yet.

"Xena is a Amazon princess a higher status than a warriorprincess?" asked Gabrielle

"Well I'd think they'd be equal because they're both warriors and princesses." said Xena as she fed Solan some baby food. He ate contently looking at Gabrielle and back at his mother. He spit out food sometimes. Xena making little faces to get him to open his mouth.

"Oh well I think an Amazon princess is higher." said Gabrielle

"So, why do you care?" asked Xena as she wiped Solan's mouth.

"Because, than I can order you around." said Gabrielle."So give me the waterskin."

"Even if it was I wouldn't get it for you." said Xena."You can get it yourself all you have to do is reach for it." Gabrielle frowned and reached for the skin.

"Can we visit my parents?" asked Gabrielle

"Sure why not. Your going by yourself. I'm not in the mood to hear the bullshit that they're going to say. I also don't want Solan around it all." said Xena.

"Please Xena come with me." begged Gabrielle."I haven't seen them in nine months. I need the support of my best friend behind me." Xena sighed.

"Alright, but you owe me if some very rude shit goes down. Life threatening even." said Xena as she continued feeding Solan. Gabrielle nodded.

"Alright, I promise we can leave immediately if some rude or life threaning shit goes down." siad Gabrielle.

"Alright, and another thing." said Xena

"Yea what is it?" asked Gabrielle.

"Gabby you're a cockblocker. It's bad enough your always around when I hint to you to leave us alone for an hour or two. Or you show up at the wrong moment."

"I am. I'm sorry. What's a cockblocker?" said Gabby

"It is ok Gabby." said Xena." A cockblocker is someone who goes out of their way whether knowing it or not keep their friends or family from having sex all the time. Like you just block any signals comin' through. Or you show up at the wrong moment and interupt them when they're about to have sex."

"Well I'll try not to do it." Gabrielle said."I didn't know you were trying to have sex."

"That's ok I know your naive." Xena said.

"Xena I am not naive." Gabrielle said.

"In some things you are." Xena said. Gabrielle frowned."I'm just tellin' it like it is.


	8. Back to Potidaea

Chapter 8: Back to Potidaea

"Gabrielle your back." Lila said. She ran to her. Lila was eleven now. They hugged.

"Lila you've gotten so big." Gabrielle said. Her family rejoiced and were surpised at her amazon clothing. She told them about her being an Amazon princess. Xena just stayed back and watched them.

"Gabrielle I'm going to go get him some new clothes." Xena said. Gabrielle nodded. Xena left out. She got looks from people, but she ignored them.

"I don't sell to warriors." said a merchant. She was a woman and made her baby clothes by hand. She was very good at what she did.

"Look my son's clothes are getting to small, and you make the best clothes so can you please just sell me some clothes, so my son can stay warm and comfortable." Xena said. She almost threatened the woman, but decided to just wait until she got to Amphipolis. She knew somebody who made better clothes anyway. It was her loss anyway.

"Did you get him new clothes?" Gabrielle asked.

"No, people here are rude." Xena said."I know somebody in Amphipolis who makes better clothes anyway."

"Ok." Gabrielle said. Dinner was ok Hedotus was mean to her in a silent way. He went off when Gabrielle said she wasn't staying to marry Perdicus. Xena learned that they thought she stole Gabrielle from them. When in fact Gabrielle came of her own free will.

"I know its small, but its the only room we have." Hecuba said to Xena.

"No, its fine." Xena said. Hecuba dusted off the bed and put clean sheets on them, and a blanket. She left out. Xena put the candle on the bedside table. She layed Solan down. She took off her boots and leathers. She folded it at the end of her bed. She looked in her bag for Solan's night tunic and clean diaper. She changed him and he looked up at her kicking his feet.

"Solan come on I'm tired I don't want to play." Xena said. Solan just smiled and continued to kick his legs. Xena sighed. All she wanted to do was read a bit before she went to sleep. She managed to get his clean diaper on, and his night tunic. She brushed his blond hair gently. He layed his head down he always relaxed when he got his hair brushed. Xena rocked him gently and humed a song. He was asleep in no time. Or so she thought. She tucked him in and sat on the floor reading a book on herbs. She was really into the book when Solan fell into her arms. He giggled.

"Solan." Xena said. She had to smile at him though. He grabbed her necklace playing with it. She put her book down and played with him like he wanted. He wouldn't go to sleep unless she was laying down with him. She fell asleep trying to get him to sleep. She woke up two hours later to a scream. Solan was screaming. There was someone trying to kidnap him. Xena got up quickly and pulled the guy back through the window she just barely caught Solan when he tried to throw him out to someone below. Hecuba, Hedotus, Gabrielle, and Lila burst into the room.

"What happen?" Gabrielle asked.

"He tried to kidnap Solan." Xena said. Solan continued to cry.

"Mat, what are you doing?" Hedotus asked.

"Trying to save this child." Mat said."She doesn't deserve him." Xena hit him very hard in the throat.

"Don't ever say that again or next time I'll close your air way." Xena said."And Gabrielle I will see you in Amphipolis. Stay as long as you like. I'll send you a messenger if anything comes up."

"Xena no don't leave." Gabrielle said.

"No, I'm not staying here if I have to worry about people kidnapping my son." Xena said."And we talked about this before we came here, so I'm leaving in the morning."

"Alright fine." Gabrielle said knowing they had a deal. There was no convincing Xena other wise if it involved Solan. Mat left. Hedotus helped her secure her window. He didn't like the thought that someone could just sneak into his home like that. He had Lila, Gabrielle, and his wife to think about. Though he knew they probably wouldn't make it out of this room while Xena was occupying it.

"Thanks." Xena said. He grunted and left out. Xena comforted Solan this time she actually got him to sleep. It was a little before she was able to let her guard down enough to sleep as well. In the morning she was packed and ready, but stayed for breakfast. She thanked them for their hospitality. She headed for Amphipolis.

"You wanna see Nana?" Xena asked Solan. He nodded as she fed him. He spit it out.

"Solan don't be like that my deserts are way better than the actual food. My actual food isn't that bad when Gabby's not around." I said."But we won't tell Gabby that or she'll never cook another meal again." Solan laughed.

"Always trying to trick me aren't you." Xena said ticking him. He laughed some more. She kissed his forehead and fed him some more Balklava. He didn't spit it out. He ate it.

"Good boy." Xena said. She took him to the river to refill the water skins. They came back and prepared for bed. She sang to him as she brushed his hair. He was asleep in no time. She tucked him into her bedroll. She checked the perimeter of the camp. It was clear. She built the fire up to keep away animals and bugs. She changed and layed down next to Solan. It was nearly dawn when she was woken up by the snap of several twigs. She estimated there had to be three people around the camp. Her sword and chakram was positioned within her reach. Solan was awake she could feel it in his breathing. She heard it again and knew they were ameteurs. Solan sat up and tapped her. They were moving closer and fast. Solan started making baby noises trying to get her to wake up. Xena opened her eyes, and sat up. At that moment Solan pooed.

"Ewww." Xena said. She stood up with him in her arms. Her chakram was out of sight between them.

"Don't worry baby we're safe." Xena whispered. She kissed his cheek. Just as she had anticipated she was attacked before they knew it they were on the ground disarmed.

"If you don't want to loose a body part I suggest you run back to Potidaea." They ran back to their homes.

* * *

A/N: It was recently brought to my attention that I accidently posted half of chapter nine with chapter eight. Chapter nine is not done and will be soon sorry for any confusion I caused.


	9. Hercules

Chapter 9: Hercules

"Xena," Cyrene greeted. She hugged and kissed her daughter and grandson."Where's Gabrielle?"

"With her family," Xena replied. "They've got crazy people there who tried to kidnap Solan. They don't think he's very well taken care of."

"Oh but he's very well taken care of," Cyrene said taking him.

"I know that," Xena said. "I'm not even going to dwell on it. So where is everybody?" Xena noticed the Tavern was empty.

"Oh I have to go to Larissa for supplies. They've got some problem. So if I want it done right I've got to do it myself," Cyrene said. "I was just about to leave. Would you like to come along?"

"I was actually looking forward to just resting," said Xena, "and have a real bath after traveling so long."

"Fun," Cyrene said."Well I heard you were coming before you actually made it to the village so I prepared your room just the way you like it. I laid out your favorite dresses. I know you hate dresses, but I laid out the ones your most comfortable in. Oh I made sure a bath was ready with your favorite scents."

"Thank you mother." Her mother spoiled her. She finally understood why Cyrene loved to do it. She aimed to please her children. At the same time she wasn't a total push over.

"Well I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning, so we could go for a walk or something." Cyrene said.

"We could eat dinner outside like a picnic. Should be a full moon tonight. I know a good place." Cyrene nodded. Xena took her bath and changed to please her mother. They all ate dinner under the stars. Solan enjoyed it.

"He should be walking soon." Cyrene said as they walked back. She carried Solan.

"Yeah, he'll probably be a hand full," Xena said smiling at him. Cyrene smiled too. In the morning she left early. Xena had the whole tavern to herself beside Solan.

"Come on big boy let's get you some better fitting clothes. " Xena said tickling him. He smiled. They got him new clothes and washed his old ones before giving them to a mother with a child. She was less fortunate and could use them.

"Thank you." She said.

"No problem. I have a son of my own. I know little boys can grow fast." Xena said. She nodded and hurried to catch up to her husband. Xena went back to the tavern and spent the day doing a list of chores around the tavern. Later after dinner Xena spread out a blanket on the floor and put some toys on it for Solan. They played on the blanket; they bonded together. A knock sounded at the door.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Xena asked Solan. He just looked at her as he placed one of his blocks in his mouth. Xena rolled over onto her back before standing up and going over to the door. Solan watched her intently as he sucked on his block. She opened the door to reveal Hercules. She smiled and invited him to come inside.

"Hey what brings you up north, this time of year?" Xena asked as they hugged.

"Oh just my favorite warrior princess and her handsome son." Hercules turned to Solan and played with him for a little bit making him smile.

"Ah I see so it's not me than." Xena looked down at the floor sadly making Hercules laugh.

"I almost forgot how good of an actor you are and believed you." Xena laughed.

"I am good aren't I?" Hercules nodded.

"So where is everybody, why is it so deserted?"

"Well my mom closed down the tavern while she headed to Larissa for a few days. So basically I've got the place to myself until her return, when it will fill up again," Xena informed him. "Usually mother leaves someone else in charge or at least someone who can cook when I'm around. But she knew that this being Solan's first year and me a first time mother, I would rather rest than play tavern keeper."

"She was wise than because the first year is the roughest."

"Got that right, I don't know what sleeping is anymore." They laughed.

"Yeah, I can imagine." Xena picked up Solan.

"Look it's his bed time so why don't I get him ready for bed and then we can have supper, all right?" Hercules nodded.

"Of course I would be honored to dine with the great warrior princess herself." Xena smiled.

"You're such sycophant."

"And you're a tease, but I never complain." Xena grinned.

"You're good, very good." Hercules grinned as well. Xena took Solan upstairs and to her delight had him asleep in no time.

"Sweet dreams darling." Once he was all tucked in, in his cradle, which he was becoming too big for. "Note make a smaller bed for him." Xena returned downstairs.

"I can't believe how big he's gotten since I last saw him. He was only a month old."

"I know, I can't believe it either, he's growing up right before my eyes." Hercules nodded his understanding as he followed her into the kitchen after she picked up his toys and put them on a table. Xena cut some lamb for the both of them, which was keeping warm by the fire after washing her hands. On the side there were roasted potatoes.

"Smells delicious, did you make it?" Hercules asked curiously.

"Depends, how does it taste?" Xena asked pouring them both a glass of wine. Hercules ate a piece of meat and then potatoes letting nothing show on his face.

"Needs a dash of salt," Hercules commented chewing thoughtfully. Xena passed him the salt, and he added a dash and ate some again. "Perfect."

"I made it," Xena told him happy that he could at least stomach her cooking.

"You're becoming a good chef, now all you have to do is cook more often." Xena nodded.

"I was thinking the same thing, but I really like Gabrielle's cooking and I'm much too lazy to cook myself when she's around." They laughed and agreed.

"Xena did I ever tell you how proud I am of you?" Hercules asked. Xena shook her head.

"Why would you be proud of me?" Xena asked.

"Because you changed your life around. It takes a lot of strength to do what you did and you did it." Xena smiled.

"Thank you, that means so much to me to hear you say that." She kissed his cheek, but it immediately turned to a tentative kiss on the lips. Each kiss went a little further than the last. Xena pulled back as his hands undid her dress.

"What?" Hercules asked confused as to why she was resisting him.

"I'm going to go slip into something more comfortable, while you clean up the dishes and put out the candles. Oh and I'm going to go prepare my room so take your time." Xena gave him another kiss before she walked off seductively swinging her hips, which kept his eyes on her until she was gone. Hercules raced to clean everything. Xena placed Solan's cradle in her mother's room, which could not hear any naughty activity going on in her room before she slipped into some sexy lingerie she had been saving for a rainy day. Or warm summer's night when she had the tavern all to herself. Xena ate a leaf that would cause a sensation on his skin. She let down her hair, which seemed to have more of a shine and more volume to it. She didn't have long to wait as she sat on the bed and Hercules walked in at the same time. He drank in her appearance as she paused in sitting down. She stood up straight and walked over to him. He couldn't move as he watched the Goddess before him.

"Someone has been a very naughty boy," Xena whispered into his ear and blew on the back of his neck and Hercules shivered with pleasure as he moved towards the bed and grabbed the bed post for support. Xena grinned. She was going to enjoy this immensely. She strided over to him and proceeded to torture him in ways he could have never imagined and he was helpless once she had him handcuffed to the bed.

"Kinky."

"Very," Xena answered as she moved pass his navel and his eyes became wide.

"No, no please oh my Gods don't Xena, I'm begging you." Never in his life had he feared pleasure more than now. Xena grinned and blew on the tip of his manhood sending his body into convulsions of pleasure. He even let out a little scream. Once the initial intensity was over he couldn't stop shivering as he came everywhere.

"Who's the naughty one now?" Hercules asked.

"I am, always have been and always will be," Xena told him as she did it again making him cry out. When he had finished she released him from his shackles and gave him the leaf.

"What's this?" Hercules asked.

"I'm not completely mean, I like to be tortured too you know." Hercules grinned and ate the leaf before he handcuffed her. Xena nearly bit her lip to the point of bleeding especially when he arrived at her more sensitive area.

"So that's what that looks like," Hercules commented as he looked at the wet spot on the floor.

"I forgot to mention I do that," Xena breathed. Hercules laughed.

"At least now I know when I've really done it." He did it again wanting to see if it went farther or to the same place.

"Where did it land this time?" Xena asked once she had recovered.

"Just a little more ahead." Xena laughed. "We should turn this into a contest, see how far a woman can go." Xena chuckled some more.

"No, it's too hard to achieve even a little bit of it sometimes." Hercules nodded. "Now I believe you have a particular stick I want to play with or with me rather." Hercules laughed as he undid the handcuffs and straddled her between her legs. He began slowly at first as he let her adjust and get use to his size, but Xena cried out for him to go faster and harder and he forgot about hurting her and focused more on both of their pleasure he thrusted in and out.

"I've got a position you definitely haven't tried," Xena told him as they lay side by side after their first joining.

"What?" Hercules asked and she told him how she would stand on her head. She found him very willing to try every position in the Karma Sutra they possibly could, but the fun was cut short as Solan woke up.

"This isn't over," Xena told him as she dressed, she could already tell from the volume of Solan's cry that he had no plans of going back to sleep until morning.

"Definitely not," Hercules breathed. She kissed him one more time before going to take care of her son.


End file.
